Marina employees rescue woman from SL

Thu, Oct 29, 2009    to del.icio.us

FERRYSBURG — Employees at Keenan Marina rescued a woman from Spring Lake just before 9 a.m. Wednesday, said Spring Lake/Ferrysburg Police Chief Roger DeYoung.

Todd Roetman, an employee at the marina, was inspecting the docks with two other employees when one of them spotted the woman in the water — said Roetman's wife, Brooke Roetman.

"They thought she was a log," she said.

Roetman and the other employees then threw ropes to the woman, Brooke Roetman said. According to DeYoung, the woman tried to swim away from the ropes and out toward the middle of the lake.

One of the employees jumped into the water and pulled the woman back and onto the dock, where police had to restrain her from jumping into the water again, DeYoung said.

No one saw her go into the water, DeYoung said.

"It's a sight that Todd's going to have a long time to shake," Brooke Roetman said.

The 59-year-old Ferrysburg woman was taken by ambulance to North Ottawa Community Hospital for evaluation.

"She is OK," DeYoung said. "She is being evaluated by Community Mental Health."

Roetman had knee surgery Wednesday and was unable to comment. The surgery was originally planned for December, his wife said, but the rescue effort took such a toll on him that it had to be performed Wednesday.