Woman rescued from Upper Truckee River in South Lake Tahoe

6/12/17 8:00 p.m. update - The woman who was rescued from the river, Stephanie Waggoner of Minden, Nev., has died as result falling off her paddleboard in South Lake Tahoe. The Washoe County Coroner's Office will likely release the cause of death Tuesday or Wednesday.

* * *
A 50-year-old woman from the Carson Valley nearly drowned in South Lake Tahoe Wednesday after she fell off her paddle board and got caught underwater in the cold and swift Upper Truckee River.

At 1:04 p.m., South Lake Tahoe Police and Fire Rescue received the emergency call. Sgt. Jason Cheney was less than a minute away and was first on the scene. He pulled off his vest and jumped into the water. He commandeered a paddle board from someone at the scene and paddled to the unidentified woman. Cheney attempted to pull her out of the water when he saw her ankle was still tethered to the board, keeping her underwater.

A good Samaritan came to assist Cheney and got her leg freed. He then got her to shore near the Highway 50 bridge by 1:10 p.m. and immediately started lifesaving procedures. Paramedics arrived and took over CPR and got her into an ambulance to take her to Barton Hospital.

According to Cheney, doctors there got her stable with a heartbeat and put her on a ventilator, then she was transported to Renown in Reno by CalStar.

As of 7:55 p.m. she was still alive at Renown, Cheney said.

The victim had been wearing a life preserver but it fell off during rescue attempts prior to the arrival of Cheney. She spent about 5-7 minutes underwater before Cheney was able to get her head above water.

Cheney said people who are underwater in such cold temperatures have a better chance of recovery than if the water was warm. It's easier to preserve brain functions.

"We have very high flows in the water ways right now and people have to be respectful of its power," said SLT Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Tim Spencer. "Couple that with the cold temperatures and it doesn't take long to lose motor skills. You could be a fantastic swimmer but if your body stops working that won't help."

Here are three tips for a successful experience on the water this spring and summer:
1) Know what you're doing
2) Have a life preserver
3) Have a plan and share it with someone. But better yet, have people with you.

This is the second rescue on the Upper Truckee River in South Lake Tahoe in five days.