Grants Pass woman saved by roommate and first responders from drowning in backyard

GRANTS PASS, Ore.– “It was a nightmare. It was terrible for me, what I went through because of that dock.”

81 year old grants pass woman Maria Carbajal never expected she’d have to fight for her life after doing basic yard work outside her home.

“It was something that I’ve never experienced before.”

But when her foot broke through an old board on her personal dock, she found herself holding on for dear life

“I don’t want to drown out here, I don’t want to drown out here.”

Luckily, Carbajal’s screams for help were heard by her 67 year old roommate Karen Kelier.

Kelier, held a broom out for Carbajal to grab on to

Rural metro says she would have surely drowned.

Minutes after she fell, firefighters pulled her out of the lake.

Lieutenant Joshua Compton was one of those first responders.

Compton says, “It was an odd situation for her. And for us honestly. I’ve never felt quite like that before.”

Carbajal went to the emergency room, but she’s physically okay now.

Now, she says it’s the mental trauma that haunts her most.

“That’s what bothers me. I can’t sleep at night because I keep thinking about it.”

While rogue lea estates property management works to fix the dock it’s placed a lock on Carbajal’s fence.

She says despite the traumatic memories shell never forget the first responder who saved her life.

Regarding Lieutenant Compton, Carbajal says, “I would tell him thank you very much for saving me. Because I really thought I was going to drown. But I knew I was going to be safe when they got here. Its just one of those things.”

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