A 51-year-old man and a 45-year-old woman were kayaking at the Ballard Locks at 9:50 am Sunday, December 22nd when the current in the area pulled the couple to close to the spillway and dumped them into the water. The man who was not wearing a flotation device was washed through the spill gates ending up on the saltwater side. The man swam to the shore and was able to climb to safety. The woman who was also not wearing a flotation device remained on the freshwater side but had to be rescued by a patrol officer using a life ring. Both people were taken to Harborview Medical Center for evaluation due to fears of hypothermia.
The Lock Master (yes that’s a real job and the gentleman’s name is Larry) called into the station and informed us that this was the first time a person had ever been washed through the spill way since the locks were built 102 years ago.
Finally, this is a great time to remind people to always wear a life vest while you are on the water.