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Farmington Woman is Rescued from Sandy River

July 29, 2008 - FARMINGTON -- A Farmington woman who had been tubing down the fast-moving, rain-swollen Sandy River Thursday was rescued by firefighters after she capsized and became snared in a large, moving, uprooted tree.

Andrea Hoffman, 25, had been on the river with Patty Hastings, 25, and Margaret Blauvelt, 25, both of Farmington. Hoffman was not seriously injured. None of the women wore life jackets as they rode on separate inner tubes.

Farmington Fire Chief Terry Bell said his fears were the danger of the fast current and the hazards in the water.

"I've been a firefighter for 33 years and this was the first time I can remember thinking I could lose her or one of my men," he said.

"People don't understand that there are trees underwater and just because you don't see them, doesn't mean it isn't dangerous," Bell said.

Not only was the snagged tree that Hoffman had managed to grab onto moving downstream, but trees and branches also were floating by, he said.

The women reportedly started at about 1 p.m. from somewhere up river. At about 3 p.m., they knew they were in trouble when they reached a winding section of the river marked by eroded banks and fallen trees. Hastings and Blauvelt managed to make it to shore and call for help on a cell phone.

Rescuers located Hoffman on a stretch of the river behind Shiretown Tire.

"When we got there, she was clinging to a tree in the river and the other two were on the opposite side. We could see her tube still tangled in the branches and she had climbed onto the trunk," he said. "She was probably 20 or 30 feet out. The water was moving fast and she told us that she could feel the tree moving."

Lieutenants Tim Hardy and Jason Decker, in cold water rescue suits and secured with ropes to the shore, attempted to reach her but had to turn back because of the safety risk, Bell said.

"They tried to go out but kept going down into the water," the chief said.

Using a line-throwing water rescue device, Bell said the rescuers shot a rope over the tree and Hoffman grabbed one end and tied it onto a branch. The rope system was also used to send a secured life vest out to Hoffman.

"We told her to shimmy back down the trunk toward the shore and then jump off. Then we pulled her in," he said.

More than an inch of rain fell in the area, according to officials.

Farmington Police and NorthStar Ambulance assisted in the rescue effort.

BY BETTY JESPERSEN
Staff Writer, Kennebec Journal, 07/25/2008


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