Good News911 dispatcher sends her mom to the rescue
It's a classic case of "mom to the rescue," only with 911 involved.
On Sunday, a 911 dispatcher in Wahkiakum County, Washington, sent her own mother to rescue a stranded boater in the Columbia River, knowing that she could kayak to her boater's aid faster than the sheriff's office could send out a patrol boat.
A 45-year-old kayaker was out paddling with a companion when her kayak sank. She climbed on to a log piling near a jetty while her companion went to call for help.
911 dispatcher Raedyn Grasseth overheard the call.
"Jetties are very dangerous. The currents around them are horrible. It sounds like her kayak just got sucked toward the jetty and went down," Grasseth told The Daily News.
Grasseth notified the sheriff's office of the stranded boater — then called her own mother, Cindy Faubion.
Grasseth knew that her own family members, who live near the river and who own boats, could reach the woman before the sheriff's office could round up a crew and rescue the woman.
"I knew they could be there within 5 to 10 minutes," Grasseth said.
A rescue crew would have taken 15 to 30 minutes to arrive, News Channel 8 reports.
According to The Daily News, the rescued woman was cold and shaken, but didn't require any medical care.
"Doesn’t surprise me at all," Grasseth told News Channel 8 about her mother’s heroic actions. "In this community, they will be out there in a heartbeat. It doesn’t matter who it is."
Grasseth warned boaters that the river is still dangerously cold and its currents unpredictable. She told The Daily News that all boaters should wear lifejackets, and anyone near the river should be aware of the tide schedule.
