A disturbing video surfaced online showing a woman being knocked into Lake Superior by a massive wave, leaving onlookers stunned.
A harbor cam picked up a group of three hikers walking along the breakwater trail on Sunday as they made their way toward the Grand Marais Lighthouse, a landmark located in northeastern Minnesota.
A wave well over 10 feet tall surged up and swept the unidentified woman out into the lake, the video showed.
The latest National Weather Service temperature reading of Lake Superior near where she fell in showed the water was 49 degrees Fahrenheit.
Getting thrown into water this temperature can give a person ‘cold shock’ – which can cause dramatic changes in breathing, heart rate and blood pressure. Even confident swimmers are at a greater risk of drowning in these conditions.
After multiple 911 calls came in, Cook County Sheriff’s Deputy Will Sandstrom responded to the scene.
There, Sandstrom saw the woman’s two friends and a someone fishing pulling the woman out of the lake, WTIP Radio reported.
After the woman was rescued, she told authorities she had a headache and was too weak to walk. The woman was taken to a local hospital.
Pictured: The giant wave rises up beyond the breakwater, which doubles as a hiking trail along Lake Superior
The woman was knocked into the water, which was as cold as 49 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a dangerous temperature and can lead to ‘cold shock’ in humans
The group of three were on their way to the Grand Marais Lighthouse, which is on the north shore of Minnesota
‘The heroic actions of the people with the victim were instrumental in avoiding a tragedy in this situation. I cannot thank them enough, and the swift action of Deputy Will Sandstrom was contributory to making sure the victim received medical attention quickly,’ Cook County Sheriff Pat Eliasen said.
Eliasen continued: ‘Although Lake Superior is a tremendous sight when the winds are blowing strong, the lake is not forgiving when you make a mistake. Large waves will knock you into the water, and strong currents can make it impossible to get to safety. Expiration in water that cold does not take long.’
The condition of the woman is not known.
The lake’s north shore had higher winds and rougher conditions than usual on Sunday.
There had been a wind advisory in effect for northeastern Minnesota that day. Waves were crashing on the breakwater and the lighthouse all throughout Sunday.
These late fall winds are so common in the Great Lakes Region that they are often referred to as the Gales of November.