Woman Entered Water at Breakwall, Rescuers Say

The woman rescued Sunday by passersby Sunday ended up in Lake St. Clair from the breakwall rather than being involved in a jet ski crash as reported by the U.S. Coast Guard. 

Tom Cook, of Grosse Pointe Woods, was in Lake St. Clair on his jet ski when he saw two women on the breakwall waving him over, he said Tuesday. The women were standing on the breakwall holding the arms of a woman who was hanging in the water, he said. 

The woman was awake when he first approached but she became unconscious while they were trying to help her, Cook said. The circumstances under which she ended up in the water are not clear. 

Previously the U.S. Coast Guard reported to Patch the woman was involved in a jet ski accident. The Coast Guard responded to the call but did not get to help as the woman had been pulled from the water already and was being loaded into an ambulance for transport to the hospital. 

Cook said he came to the water's edge after two women flagged him over. He helped the women by turning his jet ski around so they could use it to hold the woman's head out of the water, he said. 

Officers from Grosse Pointe Shores and Farms responded to the call. They lined the breakwall, Cook said, and removed her from the water. None of the officers got in the water and they used his jet ski to get to the woman, he said.

Farms Director of Public Safety Dan Jensen said Tuesday his officers responded with a ladder truck but the situation was already being handled by Shores officers when they arrived.

Katy Walsh also emailed Patch Monday, explaining she and her husband were flagged down by a young runner who spotted the woman. The runner asked for their help. They stopped, flagged down Cook and then left after police arrived, Walsh said via email. 

Patch is still awaiting a return phone call from Grosse Pointe Shores Director of Public Safety John Schulte on the rescue. The woman's identity, age or place of residence is unknown.

She was taken to an area hospital in a state of unconsciousness, according to Cook and Walsh. Her condition as of Tuesday was unknown.