Spokane woman rescued three hours after boat sinks in Potholes Reservoir

After her boat capsized Sunday night, a 52-year-old Spokane woman spent nearly three hours in Potholes Reservoir before rescuers spotted her and pulled her out of the water, according to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.

The woman, whose name was not released, wore a life vest and held on to a gasoline can for flotation, the sheriff’s office said. She was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for treatment of hypothermia and inhalation of gas fumes.

The sheriff’s office said the 16-foot boat capsized about 8 p.m., and a 40-year-old person who was aboard the vessel managed to put on a life vest and swim to shore. Rescuers were called around 9:15 p.m. Boat crews from the sheriff’s office and Grant County Fire District 5 responded. The sheriff’s office used a drone equipped with an infrared camera to search for the woman. She was found in the water about 10:45 p.m.

Potholes Reservoir, also known as O’Sullivan Reservoir, is about 7 miles south of the city of Moses Lake.