Tourist Rescues Woman From Walden Pond In Concord
CONCORD (CBS) – A woman was rescued from Walden Pond in Concord late Wednesday afternoon.
State Police say the woman was spotted sitting on a bench at the pond before she waded into the water, fully clothed.
When she began to struggle, a British tourist jumped in and pulled her back to shore. The woman was transported to Lahey Clinic.
Police tell WBZ-TV's Ken MacLeod that near the bench where the woman was sitting, officers found a purse that contained a receipt for children's clothing that was purchased earlier in the day.
Police took this as a sign that a child may perhaps also be in the water.
"It was very gut-wrenching because you didn't know where to start looking," said Captain David Curran, Concord Fire-Rescue.
Two firefighters from the department put on special suits and jumped into the water to perform a grid search in the area where the woman went into the pond.
"It was a cold afternoon, and it was getting dark so the biggest thing was we only had a short amount of time to get the job done," said Curran.
He said the water temperature was 50 degrees – warmer than the air temperature. Rescuers searched the pond and shoreline for 45 minutes before officers told them there was no child with woman.
Curran said police had tracked the woman's Charlie Card and activities at the Walden Pond shop to determine she was alone.
State police said the woman has mental health issues and is recovering at Lahey Clinic.
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