Woman rescued from Puyallup River

Woman rescued from Puyallup River by deputies

Crews rescued a woman who was struggling to stay afloat in the Puyallup River on June 4.

PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. - Multiple agencies responded to the Puyallup River on June 4 to help pull a woman out who had fallen into the fast-moving water.

Around 12:38 p.m., four deputies with the Pierce County Sheriff's Department performed a "Swiftwater rescue" to grab the woman and swim her to shore.

With the recent heavy rain, the river was moving fast.

Deputies said the cold water made it difficult for the woman to stay afloat, let alone swim to safety.

It's unclear how she fell in or what she was doing by the river.

She was taken to the hospital. Her condition is unknown.

Central Pierce Fire, Tacoma Fire, Tacoma Police, Fife Police, Puyallup Police, and Puyallup Tribal Police all assisted with the incident.

Although summer is approaching, bodies of water can still be shockingly cold, and the recent rain can make it difficult for even the strongest swimmer to navigate.

Below are some important resources:

Rob Sendek, the boating safety officer with Washington State Parks boating program, said that in cold lakes or rivers, your body has about 10 minutes in the temperature before your arms, legs and internal organs stop working.

"You got about a minute to regulate your breathing for cold water shock, you have about 10 minutes before your body doesn't start functioning properly and then you got an hour before you basically go unconscious," Sednek told FOX 13 in early May.