Woman recounts close call after going overboard near Willis Point

Willis Point residents jumped into action when they heard a woman calling for help from the water Saturday night.

Kendra Campbell and her two dogs, Finn and Piper spent their afternoon on Senanus Island, about three kilometres off the shore of Brentwood Bay.

On their way back Kendra decided to take their dinghy for a rip, when she went to reach for her gloves the shift of weight turned the motor and the next thing she remembers was the three of them were in the water.

“The cold didn’t really hit me and you think that it would, that initial shock, but it didn’t, it was just the dark and, where are my dogs?” says Campbell.

The breast cancer survivor found herself fighting for her life, for the second time as hypothermia started to settle in.

She began kicking her way to shore with Finn and Piper at her side.

“It just seemed like their first thing to worry about was me and they were just trying to climb to me and swim beside me,” says Campbell.

About 50 meters out from shore, she began to yell for help.

Luckily a man was on his boat, saw her and made his way over, scooping her out of the waters. But, her two sidekicks were now out of reach, Finn had made his way back onto the dinghy, and Piper was nowhere in sight.

Kendra was taken to the hospital and treated for hypothermia and frostbite.

Her two dogs were found and brought to shore, Piper suffering a bad cut on her hind leg from trying to climb up the cliffs and Finn suffering bad abrasions on his stomach.

“Dan and I have been saying I love you to each other more and more, and it’s just appreciating your loved ones cause it could have gone bad,” adds Campbell.

She thanked the community for coming to her rescue and says what happened on the water didn’t scar her for life but next time she’ll be more cautious.

hlepine@cheknews.ca

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