First responder visiting beach saves 20-year-old woman from drowning over holiday weekend
YORK, Maine (WGME) - A first responder on vacation pulled a 20-year-old drowning victim out of the ocean at a Maine beach, performed R and got her breathing again, according to police.
Police say when officers and EMT crews arrived at Long Sands Beach in York on Saturday afternoon, they could see someone performing R on a 20-year-old swimmer. When they got to the scene, the rescued woman was breathing on her own.
York Fire Chief David Apgar responded to the call. He says the first responder helped by “getting the swimmer, the patient, to reestablish breathing, which was huge.”
Police have not released the woman’s name, but she was in serious enough condition that she was taken to a Boston hospital. As of Tuesday, police said she is stable but remains hospital.
Apgar says they don’t know what caused the nonfatal drowning. Even with ocean temperatures around 50 degrees, hundreds of people were in the water, so hypothermia is one possible explanation. Larger than normal waves is another.
“The waves were really large because of the storm off coast, but you’re not going to keep people out of the water,” Apgar said. “Even on a nice, warm summer day, you go in when the waves are large, you got the undertow. It’s a hazard. If you’re an inexperienced swimmer, it’s even worse.”
No lifeguards were on duty this past holiday weekend. They start the last week in June, but beachgoers say they’d feel safer if there were lifeguards at the beach the whole summer.
“It’s definitely a risky situation there. People come here on vacation, they bring their little children, and sometimes, they don’t watch them. If they get out there, it could get pretty dangerous. The whole summer would be nice to have lifeguards,” Owen Boyer said.
Some beachgoers say until lifeguards are on duty, people should stay in shallow water.
“I would say just go up to the waist. That’s what I would do. I’m very concerned about anyone who’s going through anything that really would jeopardize their life,” Roger Hagopian said.
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