Caruthersville woman rescued from Mississippi River after jumping in to cool off

CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo. -- A Caruthersville woman was safely retrieved from the Mississippi River Friday after she'd jumped in to cool off from the heat, the Sikeston Standard Democrat reported.

Following a 911 call at 5:30 p.m. Friday, officers with the Caruthersville Police Department were dispatched to the riverfront at S.P Reynolds Park in reference to a 49-year-old Caruthersville woman in distress in the Mississippi River, according to a news release from Caruthersville Police Chief Chris Riggs.

Upon officers' arrival, witnesses told them a woman had jumped into the water and pointed to the woman, who was floating downstream. Officers drove to Lady Luck Casino RV Park where the woman could be seen struggling in the water. Several times she would go under water for a period of time and then resurface as the current allowed, Riggs said.

A rescue party containing police officers along with casino security and medical staff boarded the casino's rescue boat and were able to rescue the woman in the main channel about one mile downstream from the casino's location in Caruthersville, Riggs said. The woman was taken back to the casino and then transported to Pemiscot County Memorial Hospital in Hayti. Other than exhaustion, the woman didn't appear to have any other injuries, Riggs said.

The woman told officers she was hot and decided to take a swim in the river at the riverfront, Riggs said.

"She went on to say she got into the water; the current grabbed her and forced out into the river and added that no matter how hard she tried to swim to the shore, the current would not let her go," Riggs said.

Also assisting the police department and Lady Luck Casino was the Pemiscot County Sheriff's Department.