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Firefighters rescue woman who fell in water near McIntyre Floodway

Firefighters have rescued a 19-year-old-woman who was 100 metres from shore in the icy waters of Lake Superior. Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue responded to a call about a woman who fell into the ice sometime after 9 a.m. Saturday.
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Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue head back to shore on March 24, 2012. (Jeff Labine, tbnewswatch.com)

Firefighters have rescued a 19-year-old-woman who was 100 metres from shore in the icy waters of Lake Superior.

Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue responded to a call about a woman who fell into the ice sometime after 9 a.m. Saturday. Police say an employee at Keefer terminal heard shouts for help and called 911.

When EMS, police and fire arrived, the woman was in too deep of water for her rescuers to get to her. Police say she was hanging onto a tree stump about 100 metres from shore near the Neebing McIntyre Floodway.

Firefighters had to use an airboat to retrieve her.

Police say the woman had told them that she was drinking the night before and couldn’t recall how she got onto the ice. Paramedics took her to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.

Platoon Chief John Mill said when firefighters picked her up she was suffering from hypothermia. It’s the second time the hovercraft has been used for an emergency the first being an ice rescue in February.

But Mill said this time it was far more serious.

“She was suffering from hypothermia but how badly we’re not sure,” Mill said. “She was having trouble walking so I’m sure she was very cold and she was wet. She may not be out of the woods yet with hypothermia. She said she was out there for 24 hours. I don’t believe that. I believe she wandered out there in the wee small hours of this morning.”

Mill said Lake Superior is very dangerous right now with the shifting ice and the airboat was having a tough time. He urged people to be cautious while on water.
 



 

 





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