A relaxing girls’ trip for a group of senior citizens nearly turned tragic when two women became trapped in a hot tub.
The Wolfe County Search and Rescue Team (WCSART) in Wolfe County, Ky., reported receiving a 911 call at 8:40 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 20, about the emergency.
According to a statement shared by the agency on Facebook the following day, “a group of women in their 80s were staying at a remote cabin in Wolfe County. The group decided to take a relaxing dip in the cabin’s hot tub that nearly turned tragic.”
Trouble began when the women tried to get out of the hot tub. Two of them were unable to do so because of “pre-existing issues.” Both quickly became overheated, developing hyperthermia — a dangerous condition in which the body cannot cool itself.
When the women became unresponsive, one member of the group entered the tub to keep their heads above water while another called 911 for help.
Before emergency responders arrived, the cabin’s caretaker managed to pull both women from the tub. When WCSART arrived, one woman was “completely unresponsive and in critical condition,” while the other was “partially responsive.”
A team member who was also an EMT placed the more critical patient under a shower and used ice and cold water to bring down her body temperature. The second woman was treated with ice and cold compresses before being moved outside and cooled with water from a hose.
Both women eventually regained responsiveness and were transported to a local hospital.
Kevin Osbourn, a spokesperson for WCSART, told PEOPLE that the two women were released from the hospital the next day, Aug. 21, and “are both doing well.” He added, “This story could have ended much differently without the quick thinking of all those involved.”
In their Facebook post, WCSART shared the incident as “a cautionary and educational moment,” reminding the public that hot tub sessions should not last longer than “15 to 30 minutes” and that individuals should always confirm they can exit the tub before getting in.
