Bellingham Fire Department rescues man from Whatcom Waterway
The Bellingham Fire Department rescued a man Wednesday morning from the chilly waters beneath the Roeder Street Bridge in Whatcom Waterway.
Bellingham Police and Fire units were not sure how long the unidentified 18-year-old man was in the water at the mouth of Whatcom Creek, Bellingham Fire Assistant Chief Bill Hewett told The Bellingham Herald Wednesday, but he was treated for hypothermia and taken to St. Joseph hospital by ambulance.
Fire units were dispatched to 1211 Granary Ave. at 7:59 a.m. for the report of a man in the water.
“A passer by noticed the subject in the water and talked to a contractor (at the port redevelopment project) and told them to call 911,” Hewitt said.
The first fire units on scene threw a floatation device and rope to the man, Hewett said, and a bystander with a boat offered assistance.
“There was a commercial boat on scene that was already ready to go,” Hewett said, “so they (firefighters) jumped on that boat.”
This story was originally published September 26, 2018 at 8:15 AM.