Woman rescued from water at Harbor Island Marina
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SEATTLE -- A woman was rescued by her neighbor in a dingy after she spent 20 minutes in the water off Harbor Island Marina Thursday morning, according to the Seattle Fire Department.
The woman in her 50s apparently fell off her boat shortly after 7 a.m.
According to the Seattle Police Department, people could hear her calling for help but were unable to get to her because of the marina's locked gate.
Andy Brooking said he was walking down the dock when he heard the woman's call for help and saw her hanging onto the dock lines at the stern of her boat.
"I said, 'Hang on,' and went and got my dingy," Brooking said.
He said the woman was overloaded, carrying three bags and a purse, slipped off her boat into the water and couldn't get out.
"She was cold," Brooking said. "Couldn't pull herself back onto the dock. After you're in there for a while, it's just cold."
Medics arrived as the woman was being pulled from the water. She was transported to Harborview Medical Center as a precaution.
Thank you Andy for saving my sister. We owe you a debt of extreme gratitude.
Yay!!!! Andy is my hero!! He saved me from Lincoln Towing just last night. Â Who you gonna save tomorrow??
So glad she's OK.
She was lucky I was there with Andy and helped pull her out of the water it took both of us to get her on the dock! The winter clothes she had on were so heavy & water logged she couldnt get out by herself! She was Just plain LUCKY that Andy heard her!
I was there when Andy knocked on our boat for help.. Â she was able to put her purse on the dock, but cell phone was soaked and was not able to call 911, and to weak to get her other items off her shoulder to get out.. Andy was walking his wife to her car and heard her cry for help.. this water is freezing with the Duwamish river flowing through also. She was very fortunate!!
20 minutes must have felt like 3 months.
she was lucky that she was noticed relatively early. They say 45mins without a suit in puget sound waters. Also makes you wonder whether these gates should have emergency unlocking for such circumstances.
Well good thing she's OK....but did she keep hanging on to the bags after falling into the water? Was that why she couldn't get herself out? Story isn't too clear on that point. Forget your bags, save your life.....things can be replaced.
 @dg54321 I'm not sure whether or not she hung onto the bags. I would assume not. According to the man who rescued her, the cold was part of the reason she couldn't get out.
 @MichaelHarthorne  @dg54321 Probably lacked the physical strength to pull herself out. Cold water didn't help either.Â
 @lakeview Most people lack the physical strength to pull oneself a couple feet out of water without a swim ladder. Your best bet is to try once then swim for shore.Â
Thank goodness she is OK..........
That's some cold water...