Kayaker saved from frigid water

It was a typical Friday afternoon on March 19, with state park Ranger Zach Haworth driving around Lake Darling State Park tending to his duties.

At 2:45 p.m., he was dispatched by the Washington County Communications Center with a report of a kayaker in distress out on the lake.

He called fisheries staff for a boat to assist in the rescue, but it would be several minutes before the boat could reach the scene.

Haworth raced to where the bystanders had called in the incident, driving through the parking area and down through the grass, eventually stopping at the shoreline, where the bystanders flagged him down.

'It was reported by bystanders that they were unsure if they person had a lifejacket, and he had become separated from his kayak,” Haworth said. 'I responded quickly to the scene, and that's exactly what I saw.”

The individual - who was later determined to be a 17-year-old boy from Marion - was struggling in the 43-degree lake water.

'The individual had been separated from his kayak, and he was kind of treading water,” Haworth said. 'We estimated that he was probably 30-40 yards from shore and treading water. It was apparent that they did not have a life jacket.”

Thinking quickly, Haworth grabbed a life jacket that he kept in his park ranger truck, hoping to be able to throw the life jacket to the victim.

'I ran down to where he was,” Haworth said. 'It was a little windier than I first thought it was. It was apparent that being able to throw the life jacket to him was not going to be an option with the wind that was there.”

Haworth removed his uniform gear and equipment and stepped out into the frigid water in an effort to get as close to the boy as possible.

'I got out to where I couldn't touch (bottom) any more, and I started to feel the effects of the cold water,” he said. 'It takes your breath away. I could feel all my muscles tighten up.

'It's your body's way of saying, ‘Hey, you shouldn't be here.'”

Fearing that he would make matters worse by putting himself, as well as the kayaker, in danger, he turned back to shore.

One of the quick-thinking bystanders grabbed a tow strap from their vehicle.

'We were able to fashion that and tie the tow strap to the life jacket,” Haworth said. 'While all this is going on, we're trying to coach the individual and give them instructions to keep working toward shore, give them encouragement and tell them that help was on the way.”

Haworth waded back into the lake, going out as far as he could and threw the life jacket attached to the rope to the kayaker.

'He grabbed it, and we were able to pull him back to shore so we could start medical treatment for the hypothermia,” He said.

According to witnesses, the kayaker had been in the water for 15-20 minutes.

'That's quite a long time to subject your body to those temperatures and those conditions,” Haworth said. 'When he was removed from the water, it was apparent that he was hypothermic. Communication was difficult in the beginning.”

Haworth and the bystanders helped the kayaker remove his wet clothing, and one of them grabbed some dry clothing to help get him warm.

'We were able to get him wrapped up and do whatever we could to start that warming process until the ambulance got there,” he said.

Brighton Fire Department and QRS arrived and began treating the kayaker for hypothermia before transporting him to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics where he was treated and released.

Haworth said that the fisheries staff retrieved the kayak.

'After the individual departed for the hospital, we brought the kayak back to the boat ramp and inspected it,” he said. 'It was discovered to have a small gash on the stern area of the kayak, on the underneath side. That small gash allowed the kayak to slowly take on water.

'You can't overstate the importance of having a life jacket and always inspecting your equipment before you go out on the water.”

Haworth said that the real heroes that day were the bystanders who made the initial call for help.

'I can't thank the people enough who were observant and called,” he said. 'They deserve the most thanks of anybody.”