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Woman saves man from Little Kanawha River

ELIZABETH — A boater who fell into the Little Kanawha River on Tuesday was saved thanks to the efforts of a bystander and emergency responders.

Elizabeth Volunteer Fire Department Chief Stephen Settle said an elderly man was on a boat on the Little Kanawha River around 2 p.m. Tuesday when he went overboard and became tangled in a rope. The identity of the man was not immediately available Thursday.

Settle said officials are not sure why he went overboard, but the man was wearing heavy boots and had a life vest that was not properly secured. His boat drifted near Sportsman Park.

“It was a blessing for that man,” Settle said. “If he’d been 100 yards up river or 100 yard down river or if no one had been at the park, it would have been much different.”

Mikaela Cogar, 26, of Grantsville, was walking laps at the park with her sister when they saw the man clinging to the boat. When they called to the man he said he needed help.

“My sister took off running up to the EMS building that’s located by the park,” Cogar said. “I walked down to the river and asked the man if he could wait for the firefighters, and when he said ‘can’t hold on much longer’ I jumped in.”

Cogar said she had to pause halfway to the boat because she was becoming fatigued, but managed to continue on until she reached him.

Members of the Elizabeth VFD, Wirt County EMS and the Wirt County Sheriff’s Department were alerted and on scene within a few minutes, Settle said.

“I eventually got the rope from around him. I could tell he was tired and scared. I held him in the water because I knew he was tired,” Cogar said. “Once the motor on the boat kicked off, I was able to push the boat toward the bank to where one of the firefighters met me in the water to pull it the rest of the way in.”

Settle said Cogar wasn’t the only bystander to help that day. In addition to the actions of her and her sister, others in the park called 911 and a nearby group of workers jumped into the water to help bring the boat to shore.

“There were numerous other people who helped out and made it successful,” Settle said.

The boat also had drifted close to a section of shore, which allowed first responders to bring it onto land. Settle said if it had gotten past that point, rescuers would have had to have pursued it by boat.

“It was the perfect setup for a perfect outcome,” he said.

Settle said the man, while cold from being in the water, showed no indication of injuries or any other ailments.

Cogar said she was cold and wet when she reached dry land, but otherwise unharmed. Cogar said it didn’t take her long to decide to go into the water because a man’s life was at stake.

“That was my fear, that I would watch that man drown and not be able to sleep at night,” she said. “So I knew I had to go.”

“It was nothing less than heroic,” Settle said. “Somebody who didn’t have to put themself in danger did to save someone else.”

“The only moment I felt scared in the least was when I made it to the middle of the river and got tired,” Cogar said. “It was only for a brief moment, though. I didn’t have time to be scared.”

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