MANCHESTER, NH — A Manchester woman was pulled from the rushing waters of the Merrimack River in a dramatic rescue captured on video by WMUR Friday night.
A 911 call came in at about 7:05 p.m. that a woman was in the Merrimack River near Arms Park, said Manchester Fire Department District Chief Michael Gamache.
“We were very fortunate that she didn’t lose her life, because she came very close,” Gamache said.
A call came in from an “acquaintance” of the woman, who reported that she was in the river and that he had lost sight of her, Gamache said. The call came from the area of 540 Commercial Street, which includes a row of businesses in the millyard that abut the river, including Milly’s Tavern and UNH.
Gamache said initial reports don’t indicate that the woman was seen jumping from a bridge, only that she was in the water.
“As to how she ended up in the river, that’s a police investigation at this time,” Gamache said. “We won’t disclose further information about her name or age.”
The rescue was a multi-pronged effort, Gamache explained.
“When we arrived only her head was above water. It was dark and the river was flowing fast — it’s high-volume this time of year. She was hanging on to a side wall at Arms Park, trying to keep her head above water,” Gamache said. “We had crews at the park using ropes and ladders while simultaneously launching boats behind Fisher Cats stadium, which is our official entry point.”
The distance between the woman in the water and the fire department ladders was too great, said Gamache.
“She was further down a vertical wall than our ladders would allow us to safely access. During the course of the rescue, she slipped and started floating down another 100 feet until she was able to grab the wall again, but we were able to reach her with a ladder,” Gamache said. “We had nowhere to put the ladder — we used it like a long tree branch. She was holding on, and we were holding on, and another firefighter was positioned in the river about 15 feet down, ready to grab her if she slipped again.”
Fire crews were able to hold on until the rescue boat arrived and the woman was brought to shore and carried to a waiting ambulance, then transported to Catholic Medical Center to be treated for hypothermia.
Gamache estimated it took rescuers about 15 minutes, from arrival time to pulling the woman to safety.
“I don’t know her condition this morning. I know she’s alive. I know she’s lucky to be alive,” Gamache said.
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