Eugene, OR – A coordinated rescue effort in Lane County saved the life of an elderly woman Saturday morning after she was found nearly submerged in the cold waters of Kirk Pond near Alvadore, west of Eugene.
According to the Lane County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded around 10 a.m. on December 6 to reports of a missing elderly woman who had driven from her residence before abandoning her vehicle near Clear Lake Road. Search & Rescue volunteers, K9 teams, and drones were deployed to locate her.
A deputy reviewing neighborhood security footage spotted the woman near Kirk Pond, prompting teams to focus their efforts there. Within minutes, Oregon State Trooper K9 Buck tracked the woman to the pond’s edge, where rescuers found her almost completely underwater.
The trooper and a Search & Rescue volunteer jumped into the frigid pond and pulled her to safety. She was treated for hypothermia and transported to a nearby hospital.
The Sheriff’s Office noted that this was one of several search operations over the weekend, including two separate searches for missing mushroom pickers in the Florence and Mapleton areas. One was safely located Friday evening, while another remains missing as of Monday.
Officials remind residents to prepare before heading outdoors, carry maps for offline navigation, and always wear a life jacket when near water.
This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
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