Rescue on the Lake SEVEN
With all the other disasters that occupied headlines last summer, you may have missed the news of a dramatic night rescue at Lake Mead. On June 24, National Park rangers rescued 17 people from two boats, one sunken and the other swamped. STORY
A group of friends took two boats to Lover’s Cove for an afternoon barbecue. By the time they were ready to leave, it was getting windy. A group of eight took the larger boat to unload heavy gear at the marina, planning to return for the others. But the boat was beached before reaching the marina.
Heidi Kyser |
ILLUSTRATION
Ryan Inzana
After midnight, the remaining nine — including two toddlers — piled into the smaller boat to make a run for home. Thirty-eight mph wind gusts whipped up four-foot and higher waves. The boat took on water, flipped over and dumped the group into the water.
At nearly 2 a.m., someone from the sinking boat reached 9-1-1. A Lake Mead dispatcher could only hear faint screams, as the caller held the phone in his mouth and treaded water. Using GPS tracking, rangers located the call.
By the time search and rescue arrived, the boat was submerged except for the bow, and the group had been treading water for nearly an hour. In news reports, those rescued described bright searchlights arriving in the cold dark like a scene from the movie Titanic. A second ranger crew located the larger, beached boat and group of eight. All 17 friends, including two infants and an expectant mother, were rescued by 4 a.m.
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The park superintendent lauded search and rescue’s effort for returning everyone to safety. Three people went to the hospital; all recovered.