Good Samaritan seriously hurt while trying to rescue drowning kayaker
Good Samaritan seriously hurt while trying to rescue drowning kayaker
One man drowned at Fivemile Lake in Auburn on April 5, and the man who tried to rescue him is fighting for his life.
AUBURN, Wash. - One man drowned at Fivemile Lake in Auburn on April 5, and the man who tried to rescue him is fighting for his life.
Fire and Rescue crews are warning everyone about the dangers of recreating in local waterways this time of year. Crews also want people to know when and how you should help someone who is drowning.
Reach, throw, but don't go, if you're not properly trained in rescuing someone in the water. That's the advice from Division Chief Pat Pawlak with Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority.
"Boaters were able to rescue him, brought him to shore, he was unconscious, no pulse," Pawlak said. "They were doing CPR. Firefighters took over treatment of that person."
That Good Samaritan is in critical condition at Harborview Medical Center. The kayaker who fell in drowned. Dive crews found him after searching for more than two hours.
"It was a very tragic night," Pawlak said. "Not only for the two individuals, their family members, as well as everybody that was there."
Rescue crews stress the dangers of water temperatures this time of year.
"Last night, they took temperatures of the surface water. It ranged from between 44 and 47 degrees," Pawlak said.
Submerging in water that cold can quickly lead to hypothermia.
"As your body cools, then all of a sudden your vessels constrict and it's going to take the blood from your extremities and take it to the core of your body to protect your vital organs," Pawlak said.
At that point, you start losing function of your hands, feet, arms, and legs.
"It's really hard to stay afloat, and then that leads to drowning," Pawlak said.
Neither the kayaker nor the Good Samaritan were wearing life jackets in this latest incident.
Pawlak said if you see someone in distress from shore, instead of diving in, try throwing something to them. This keeps you in a safer position to brace yourself and keep them from going under.
"When you have someone who is drowning, who is trying to keep their head above water, they are thrashing around and they are going to grab anything that is going to help them stay afloat," Pawlak said.
In 2021, there were 29 drownings in King County. Of that, 15 happened in open waters. Crews say two-thirds of those could've been prevented, if the victims were wearing life jackets.