UPDATE: Water-rescue response at Seacrest

1:24 PM: Seattle Fire is sending a water-rescue response to Seacrest after a report of a person in the water “at the Water Taxi dock.” Updates to come.

(Photo tweeted by Kristin)

1:27 PM: Arriving units are telling dispatch this is a person they believe to be in crisis, an 18-year-old woman, in “waist-deep water” but not appearing to be “in distress.”

(Photo sent by Dwight)

1:38 PM: They’re still working to get her out of the water (the challenge, they’re telling dispatch, is that she’s “not quite interested in coming out of the water” so this might take a while). Note that Water Taxi traffic is “shut down” while this continues.

2:07 PM: The woman is now out of the water and on a stretcher, they’re telling dispatch. She’s being evaluated.

2:32 PM: She’s being taken to a hospital.

Allison Flexner September 23, 2021 (1:32 pm)

4 fire trucks, 4 ambulance, two coast gaurd boats, and police trying to get woman out of water. Shes swimming away near water taxi area and appeared to not want to get out of water

Yep September 23, 2021 (1:59 pm)

Yep. Witnessed this as well running by. Water taxi guy is all suited up ready to jump in water. Lots of ambulance and fire trucks.

john September 23, 2021 (3:25 pm)

Best of hope for the person in distress and that they receive compassionate care. Our civic response to incidents like this is at first impressive, but it is the follow-up that we lack. That water taxi guy deserves a Dow commendation from for being a hero and suiting up to jump overboard.

Andi Boyd September 23, 2021 (2:01 pm)

Passing Marination right now. Way more than 20 medical responders, fire trucks, police, ambulance, Coast Guard and police boats. Very disturbing to see. I read the report listed above. I hope the young person they are trying to get out of the water will be ok.

Alex Cotter September 23, 2021 (2:14 pm)

I’m on the Water taxi and it’s already running late as it is. Still haven’t docked yet from a 1:30 downtown departure.

hawaiian lunch September 23, 2021 (3:09 pm)

She jumped off the water taxi, then was yelling about it being a “free country” so it was a very minor situation. She was also a very good swimmer based on her form I saw out there. The scuba rescue was needed in case she got too cold and started to sink. The rest of heroes from the 9 fire trucks were probably enjoying a beautiful day and a beautiful view.

No September 23, 2021 (8:17 pm)

She didn’t jump off. She rode it from DT, had a couple seizures and they escorted her off the boat where she proceeded to jump into the water.
- Hawaiian lunch September 23, 2021 (10:53 pm)
  
  Thank you for the correction. I heard from the restaurant people she jumped from the boat. I arrived a few minutes after that part.
- cold water September 23, 2021 (11:21 pm)
  
  Oh, yeah, seizures can cause odd behavior afterward, erratically needing to move, combative behavior. Poor girl, hope she’s feeling better and seizures are under control.

lamont September 23, 2021 (7:17 pm)

Reminder that the massive response is due to worst-case of how a water rescue could turn out due to the fact that its difficult to work in the water and people can drown in a minute or two. If the civilian on the water taxi decided to jump in and be too much of a hero, you suddenly may have to rescue two people. It sounds like she was harmlessly unstable, but that can turn to dangerously unstable in an instant. At that point other rescuers would have to act and could also become injured. All the idle personnel and idle equipment are there in case everything goes sideways really quickly. The fire department treats going into the water like they treat going into a burning building.

Sorry, comment time is over.