Jul 24, 2008 6:22 pm US/Eastern
Swimmers Cautioned After Woman Dies In Jones Falls
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
Cooling off in local bodies of water can turn deadly in just a matter of seconds.
Weijia Jiang reports 46-year-old Janet Lochner was with a friend just moments before she jumped into the Jones Falls River Wednesday afternoon.
Lochner didn't resurface until Baltimore City diver Tim Biermanm found her body.
Dozens of paramedics tried to resuscitate her.
"Sometimes it just doesn't work, and you go in it's a recovery, not a rescue," said Biermanm.
Rescue crews say the scene at Jones Falls was all too familiar. They say swimmers don't realize how intense the water is, and they don't know what to do if they run into trouble.
"When people fall in that environment, they generally go to the bottom very quickly. The human brain says, 'I gotta stop and stand up.' Then they become foot entrapped, and it's all over," said Lt. Mike Berna, Baltimore Co. Fire Department.
If you are going to brave the water, Berna says to always wear a life jacket. Also check water levels so you know how high it is.
Tell someone your plans so they know where to look for you, and if you see someone else struggling, don't get in the water. Do not attempt rescue. The best action you can do is call 911.
That was illustrated in June 2005 when rescue crews rushed to the Gwynn Falls.
They were looking for a 17-year-old who had just saved another child's life. That Good Samaritan brought two others to safety but was later found dead.
One year later, at Little Pipe Creek, two teenaged boys lost their lives to the violent water.
Berna says we should learn from these tragedies that while rescue teams are trained to deal with swift moving water, day-to-day swimmers should go elsewhere.
They say though it may look fun, it's very dangerous and chalked full of hazards.
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