Woman, 41, drowns in Mosquito Lake
Was trying to save boy, 12, from water
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BAZETTA -- A 41-year-old woman died Monday evening saving the life of a 12-year-old boy who nearly drowned, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
A 13-year-old girl also was rescued in the waters at Mosquito Lake State Park beach, officials said.
Names of the victims have not been released.
Bazetta fire Chief Dennis Lewis said in all, eight people tried to help the boy who was beyond the warning buoys, which mark a four-foot depth. The boy, girl and the woman had been pulled from the water by the other swimmers before emergency crews from Cortland and Bazetta had arrived.
Sarah Wickham, a spokeswoman for the ODNR, said the woman was unresponsive. Bystanders attempted to perform CPR until EMS arrived, she said.
Lewis said the woman was transported to Trumbull Regional Medical Center. The boy was sent to St. Joseph Warren Hospital but was alert, Lewis said. The ODNR said the boy had non-life-threatening injuries.
The 13-year-old girl who tried to help was assessed at the scene but was not transported for treatment, Lewis said. She took on a little water but will be fine, he said.
The other five people were examined and released as well, he said.
Lewis said it appears the eight people were in the same group at the beach for a picnic and swimming. Reports state that the three victims were not related.
There was no lifeguard at the beach, he said.
It was the 13-year-old girl who first noticed the boy struggling and went to help, Lewis said. The boy couldn't touch bottom and was going under. When the girl tried to save him, he pulled her under, too, so she pushed away, he said.
It is dangerous to try to save someone who is drowning because he or she may panic and struggle "and take you down with them," Lewis said. The girl nearly drowned before she was able to break free, he said.
The 41-year-old woman went for the boy next and he pulled her under, too, Lewis said.
The other five rescuers pulled the woman and boy ashore, he said.
The woman was pronounced dead at the hospital, according to the ODNR.
Alex Williams of Hiram, who was visiting relatives in Cortland, said she saw the boy go past the white buoys and not be able to return.
"There were two other people who went in the water after him, and then they had trouble getting back," Williams said. "He was way past the buoys and was not able to stand in the water."
Williams and others said the seaweed and the inability to stand in deeper water makes it dangerous when someone goes too far out.
"(Finally), everyone was able to get out of the water. They put people into the ambulances. I saw one of the teenage boys able to walk to the ambulance," Williams said.
Diane Douce of Warren Township said she arrived at the beach with her family around 5:10 p.m. to see ambulances, police cruisers and a large crowd of onlookers.
"There were two young boys probably around 8 or 10 years old standing nearby looking in total shock," Douce said. "One boy was taken to one ambulance and the other to another. They had both been in the water.
"I had never seen anyone look so shocked like that. It was awful looking at their expressions because we did not know what had happened. It was very upsetting seeing how upset they were," Douce said.
She said several adults were gathering their children and leaving the beach.
"There was so much going on and people by the ambulances and walking on and near the beach," Douce said.
ODNR is leading the ongoing investigation.