PORT ANGELES – A kayaker was rescued after falling into Port Angeles harbor.
About one yesterday afternoon, crews were called to perform a water rescue at city pier.
According to Port Angeles Fire Department Captain Jeremy Church, 31-year-old Robert Aunspach of Port Angeles had fallen into the water and was not wearing a life jacket. Aunspach called 911 from his cell phone shortly after falling in the water.
He began swimming towards the pier where a bystander had thrown a life ring. Port Angeles Police officers arrived and coached him into the life ring before pulling the victim to the pier. The floating docks were not in place at the pier.
Officers reported Aunspach was exhausted, showing signs of hypothermia and was no longer responding to their voices. Church says fire crews arrived about the time the victim made it to the base of a ladder that was approx. 15 feet above the water’s edge. The victim was now unconscious, non-responsive and slipping through the life ring.
Fire Department rescue swimmers where deployed into the water. Since they could not readily get Aunspach to the pier, they swam him 125 yards to Hollywood beach. He was taken to Olympic Medical Center and later released.