Deep dive: Alabama firefighters save woman swimming in 70-foot high water tank

ATHENS, Ala. — Taking a dip in a 70-foot water tank is not only unusual, it can also be dangerous.

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Alabama authorities said a woman was hospitalized for a mental health evaluation after she was found swimming inside a city water tank in Athens, AL.com reported. Firefighters rescued the woman after Doug Duren, a retired police officer, noticed her swimming in the tank and contacted authorities, according to WTVM.

Duren lives across the street from the water tank, according to AL.com.

According to a Facebook post from the city, the woman, who has not been identified, was rescued after she broke through a fence and climbed the ladder to the top of the tank. The tank holds more than 350,000 gallons of water, WHNT reported. The hatch of the tank, which was open and enabled the woman to dive in, closed behind her and trapped her inside.

Athens firefighters Hunter Campbell and Coty Collins climbed to the tank, where they found the woman swimming inside, AL.com reported. They managed to persuade the woman to leave the tank. Campbell and Collins used a harness to bring the woman to safety.

Athens Police Chief Floyd Johnson thanked Duren for alerting authorities and possibly saving the woman’s life.

“We appreciate the neighbors and Mr. Duren who contacted authorities because we could have had a very different outcome,” Johnson said in the Facebook post

Jimmy Junkin, the manager of the city’s water and wastewater department, said workers drained the tank and removed debris. Junkin said the tank was repainted this week and the hatch at the top of the tank was not secured, the Facebook post stated.

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