Off-duty firefighter saves drowning woman on Green River Lake

CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – An off-duty firefighter’s quick thinking saved the life of a Hardin County woman who was drowning in Green River Lake.

Campbellsville Taylor County firefighter Cody Wood was boating with his wife around 6:30 p.m. Monday when he heard a woman screaming and struggling in the water.

The woman and three others were in a no-swim area about 200 yards from a roped-off area where swimming is permitted. A small crowd began to gather along the shore.

"They’re starting to yell," Wood said. "I see a head come up and down out of the water several times."

Green River Lake in Campbellsville, Ky. (WDRB photo)

Wood immediately sped over to the woman, tossed her a flotation device and pulled her aboard. The woman, who was in her 50s, refused medical treatment and left with family. The three others with the woman made their way back to shore.

"My wife, she is a physician’s assistant and she just graduated from PA school two weeks ago," Wood said. "She does a primary assessment en route to the boat."

In that area of the lake, a sand bar extends about 40 feet from the shore then suddenly drops to nearly 30 feet. Unless someone knew the lake well, Wood said they would not know the drop off happens.

"They’ll go in assuming it’s a typical beach that’s been graded out and it’s not," he said. "The river current is actually forming this area."

Campbellsville Taylor County firefighters typically respond to one or two drownings a year. The department is glad it didn't have its first of 2021 on Monday. Just two weeks ago, firefighters and dive teams were in the area practicing water rescues. They didn't expect to put the training to use so quickly.

"We just happened to be at the right place at the right time, had the right training, and just happened to be the right people to provide aid," Wood said.