Woman Rescued By Fishermen After Trying To Swim Across Lake

RACINE COUNTY, WI — A 26-year-old woman was rescued from Browns Lake by two fishermen Monday night after authorities said she tried swimming across the lake in about 40-degree water.

According to the Racine County Sheriff's office, fishermen Gerald Amettis and Kaleb Rose were out fishing about 100 yards from the shore in Browns Lake when they sighted something bobbing up and down the water at about 8 p.m. Authorities said they initially thought it may have been a ball, but when they guided their fishing boat closer, they found it was a woman who was struggling to stay afloat.

Sheriff's officials said the woman was barely treading water when the two fishermen pulled her out of the water. They called authorities and made directly for shore, where medical staff transferred her to a local hospital for treatment. She had been in the water for between 35 and 45 minutes when she was rescued, authorities said.

According to authorities, they received a call about a suspicious vehicle in the 3500 block of Caldwell Drive in Burlington about 40 minutes earlier at 7:20 p.m. The person who called authorities said they saw a vehicle pull into their driveway on the 4300 block of Peninsula Drive, and saw a woman get out and walk towards Browns Lake. That's when the caller lost sight of the woman, authorities said.

Sheriff’s Deputies responded and found the vehicle, and checked the surrounding area but did not find her. Deputies found her cell phone near the water but were still unable to find the woman, authorities said. When authorities caught up with the fishermen who sped to shore with the exhausted woman, they determined she was the same person who left her car behind on Caldwell Drive.