Crews rescue distraught swimmer in Redondo

Published 10:45 am Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Mirror staff reports:

South King Fire and Rescue reports that a distraught swimmer was rescued off the Redondo pier in Des Moines.

Rescue crews responded to a 911 call at 2:45 p.m. Tuesday to investigate a woman swimming in the Puget Sound, about 300 feet offshore. Crews from Tacoma, Burien and the U.S. Coast Guard assisted in the rescue.

Rescue team members commandeered two local row boats and, along with Des Moines police officers, made their way to the woman, according to a news release from South King Fire.

The agitated woman threatened to overturn the row boats, and was yelling and cursing at rescuers. Firefighters backed away and monitored the woman’s condition with a South King rescue swimmer ready to intervene if necessary, according to the news release.

The Tacoma Fire Boat arrived and brought the woman on board. She was transported to the Redondo boat launch for a medical evaluation, then was transported to a hospital in stable condition.