Person rescued from Colorado River near Longhorn Dam
AUSTIN, Texas - A person was treated for hypothermia after they were rescued from the middle of the Colorado River on Monday night.
"There were reports of someone hearing someone yelling for help from the vicinity of the river," says Austin Travis County EMS PIO Captain Darren Noak.
Crews rescue person from river in Austin
Austin-Travis County EMS says the person was "yelling for help" from an "island" in the middle of the river near Longhorn Dam. The person is being treated for hypothermia. FOX 7's Angela Shen has more on the warning signs of hypothermia and how to protect yourself.
ATCEMS and Austin fire crews responded to the call around 7:18 p.m. Jan 15, where a person was reported "yelling for help" from an "island" in the middle of the river.
"The water was at a lower-level number one, and it wasn't moving extremely fast, so that is exactly how the Austin Fire Department hasty team got over to the situation," says Captain Darren Noak.
ATCEMS also deployed their SPARTAN drone to help in the rescue.
First responders were seen walking through the water with what looked like a surfboard to complete the rescue. Once they reached the island, they walked the individual back to the shore over a shallow portion of the river.
"Since the patient was ambulatory and standing on his own, and able to extricate himself with fire department assistance, that was the chosen method to get him out of that situation," says Captain Darren Noak.
Austin-Travis County EMS said first responders used specific gear to complete the rescue.
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"The Austin Fire Department donned their dry suits, which protect them from water, keeping that water away from them. All the safety gear and the pfd and helmets, the little surfboard type device that they had last night, everything to assist us and all the rescuers to get into and out of the situation as safely as possible, with the patient as safely as possible," says Captain Darren Noak.
The person was examined by medics and taken to Dell Seton hospital to be treated for hypothermia.
"Hypothermia can set in at all types and ranges of temperatures. Obviously, the lower, the more quickly it will set in, it can set in a little quicker with wind and windchill and, of course, if the patient is either in water or is wet," says Captain Darren Noak.