Wednesday afternoon, county firefighters and other first responders answered a water rescue call at the upper pond at King’s Ridge subdivision between Douglas and Broxton. Two individuals were in a boat in the pond fishing when the boat overturned, spilling both into the water. Thankfully, they were rescued unharmed.
The call came in just after 5:30 p.m. The two men were in the boat when one of them attempted to pull up their anchor. One of his feet slipped, causing the front of the boat to dip. That caused the boat to tip over, sending both occupants into the water.
One of the men made it to a tree and held on. The other stayed with the overturned boat. A King’s Ridge resident who was outside saw the incident and called 911. In situations involving water, time is of the essence. The men, who did not have life jackets, were able to hang on until they were rescued.
“Normally, these kinds of incidents do not end well. We are relieved that this one had a positive outcome,” said county fire chief/EMA director Steve Carver. He added that if you’re going to be out on the water – even if you can swim – to always wear life jackets.