Officers from the police department and fire protection district responded to a 911 call of a woman in the water on Thanksgiving night.
According to information provided by the Lake Ozark Police Department, a family was headed out on a houseboat when a 73-year-old woman lost her footing while stepping onto the boat, slipped off the dock and fell into the water.
Family members were holding the woman in place but were not able to lift her without additional assistance.
Officers immediately and successfully lifted the elderly woman from the water.
She had been in the water for approximately 8-12 minutes.
EMS transported her to Lake Regional Hospital for follow-up treatment as well as treatment for a few minor scrapes and bruises.
Lake Ozark Police Chief Mark Maples credited the successful outcome to the quick actions by officers who responded to the call.
The incident happened around 10:30 p.m. Thursday night near the Yacht Haven Marina.
Hypothermia: Every minute counts
According to the Missouri Water Patrol, every minute counts when the temperature of the air and water drops.
Cold water shock and hypothermia are the two biggest concerns.
Cold water shock occurs when exposure to cold water causes and involuntary gasping reflex. This can cause a person to inhale water into their lungs. In other cases, the throat may close, and stay closed, blocking air flow to the lungs. Either outcome prevents effective breathing even after the person comes back to the surface.
Hypothermia is slower. Exposed to freezing water, the body loses heat 25 times faster than when exposed to air. Even climbing on top of a capsized/swamped boat is better than staying in the water.
If you’re in the water:
• avoid excessive movement
• huddle with other victims or hold your knees up to your chest to minimize heat loss
• never attempt to swim to shore without a life jacket
To treat victims of hypothermia:
• pull them out of the water as soon as possible and into a warm place
• help them change into dry clothing and wrapped in a blanket
• do not remove wet clothing if there are no dry clothes to change into as even wet clothes offer a degree of insulation from the elements and can trap body heat
• try not to move the victim around too much and do not massage the victim’s arms and legs as this will increase the circulation of cold blood to the core of the body
• a hot beverage can help, but nothing that contains alcohol or caffeine
Before heading out on the water:
• the most important step to help survive a cold weather boating emergency is to wear a life jacket; being able to swim in warm water during the summer is nothing like the cold water of winter months
• avoid boating alone during cold winter months
• be prepared for quick drops in the temperature when the sun begins to set by dressing in layers of clothes
• keep a spare set of clothes in dry storage
• monitor the weather and avoid heading out in strong wind or inclement weather
Contact this reporter at deanna.wheeler@lakesunonline.com
