A boater on Taylorsville Lake rescued himself after crashing.
On Tuesday evening at approximately 8:00, the Taylorsville-Spencer County Fire Department responded to the Drakes Ridge Road area of the lake on the report of a boating accident “and someone yelling for help,” the fire department said in a social media post.
Firefighters deployed a rescue boat crew on the water and search crews on land. The department also utilized a drone.
“In a remarkable story of self-rescue and survival, the boat operator survived the crash, which ejected him from the boat and into the water with no life jacket on,” the department said.
The victim survived by hanging onto a tree sticking up out of the water as his boat, with no kill switch, circled around him.
The boat eventually stalled and the man was able to enter the partially sinking boat. He started the troll motor and made it to shore.
Once on shore in the remote area, the man noticed a light from a home in the distance. The person made it to the residence and the homeowner transported the man to Chowning Lane Boat Ramp where he was met by first responders and received treatment for hypothermia.
The crash occurred when the boat struck a tree that was partially submerged under the water.
“With the factors of not having a life jacket and a kill switch on the boat, if he hadn’t saved himself we would have been looking at a body recovery …” Taylorsville-Spencer County Fire Dept. Chief Nathan Nation told WAVE.com.
(Photo: Aerial picture of area of Taylorsville Lake where boater self-rescued himself after crashing, courtesy of Aerial Photography Louisville)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
