Woman Survives Sunken Boat by Clinging to Empty Gas Can

Grant County Sheriff's have now released some images of a dramatic water rescue at the O'Sullivan Reservoir in Grant County from last Sunday. This picture taken with infrared camera shows a Sheriff's boat alongside the little dot that is the woman in the water, in the dark.

Deputies say around 8pm, a 40-year-old man and a 52-year-old woman were boating when the boat sank. Officials didn't say how it took on water, but the man was able to swim to shore using a life jacket and came out of the water near State Route 262. Rescuers were sent out around 9:15pm after he was able to flag someone down.

Officials say the woman was also wearing a life jacket, and with help of a Sheriff's drone equipped with infrared camera, she was located in the water. She'd been in there nearly 3 hours, but survived because of her life jacket and she was clinging to an empty gas can. She was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle suffering from hypothermia and some injuries, as well as inhaling fumes from the can.

Grant County Deputies say the only reason they both survived is because they took the precaution of using life jackets, and several others on board to ensure safety. She is expected to make a full recovery.