A woman jumped into the 39 degree waters of Gastineau Channel on Tuesday night and needed rescue.
According to a Coast Guard news release, the 27-year-old was in a group when she jumped into the channel at the cruise ship terminal near the Taku Fisheries pier.
Anchorage Coast Guard spokesman Bill Colclough said at first the woman began swimming toward the center of the channel. But, the petty officer said, she began struggling.
“We were able to locate her in a quicker and efficient manner because those good Samaritans on the pier, they spotlighted her location with their phones,” Colclough said.
The release said a family member threw her a life ring, but she had difficulty grabbing it.
Colclough did not know why the woman jumped in, how many people were in the group, or the exact relationship of the family member to the woman.
A local Coast Guard crew aboard a 25-foot boat pulled her out of the water. Capital City Fire/Rescue emergency responders were waiting for her at Station Juneau. She was treated for hypothermia and taken to Bartlett Regional Hospital for further evaluation.
