GUN BARREL CITY, Texas — A boater has been hospitalized after getting seriously injured in an incident on an East Texas lake.
According to the Gun Barrel City Fire Department, on Saturday, around 6 p.m., officials were called to Cedar Creek Lake on reports a person was seriously injured jumping from a boat into the water, near Bird Island on the north end of the lake.
"Due to the low water level in the lake, the Gun Barrel City Rescue Boat had to stop approximately 100 feet from the patient," officials said. "Gun Barrel City Assistant Fire Chief Jason Raney and Richard McFaddin, senior training officer and paramedic for UT Health, exited the boat and waded in the water over to the patient bringing water rescue equipment with them. With the help of boaters already on scene, they were able to get the patient into a stokes basket. The stokes basket is equipped with a special floatation collar that kept the patient afloat as the rescuers waded back to the rescue boat."
When the rescue boat arrived at the boat ramp, the individual was moved to a stretcher and taken to an area hospital for treatment.
The water rescue today went very smoothly," Assistant Chief Raney said. "Our department, along with UT Health EMS and other lake area departments, conducted a joint water rescue training in June. One of the rescue scenarios we practiced extensively was identical to what we encountered today. Richard McFaddin was one of the instructors at the training. We were very fortunate that he was on duty today and responded.”
The extent of the boater's injuries is unknown at this time, but CBS19 will update this article as more information becomes available.