Good Samaritan boater helps teen stuck in 60-degree water

Police: 14-year-old couldn't lift herself out of water due to recent shoulder surgery

MADISON, Wis. — A 14-year-old girl who was playing on a rope swing over Lake Mendota and couldn’t pull herself out of the water was helped to safety by a nearby boater Wednesday morning, police said.

Madison police responded to the 3000 block of Lake Mendota Drive just after 9:15 a.m. for reports of a swimmer in distress, according to a release. Initial emergency calls indicated the girl had a leg injury, and was clinging to a rope ladder because she was having difficulty treading in the cold water.

Officials guessed the water was just below 60 degrees at the time.

Due to a recent shoulder surgery the 14-year-old girl, who had been playing on a rope swing, was unable to pull herself up out of the water, police said. A good Samaritan boater happened to in the area, and helped the 14-year-old to safety.

She was treated at a nearby emergency room for non-life-threatening injuries, according to the release.