Multiple Emergency Services Coordinate Rescue
Valdez, Alaska (July 30, 2025) — On the afternoon of July 29, 2025, Valdez Police and Fire personnel responded to a 911 call reporting an individual in the water near Mineral Creek. Emergency personnel were able to successfully rescue a 40-year-old woman from upstream of the Bette Cato Bridge in Mineral Creek.
The call came in at 3:25 p.m. from a U.S. Coast Guard member who was jogging nearby and heard a juvenile female calling for help from a gravel bar in the middle of the river.
The Coast Guard member crossed a shallow channel to speak with the girl, who reported that a 40-year-old woman had entered the water earlier and was now missing. He quickly relayed this information and a description of the woman to arriving officers.
After scanning the area and locating the woman, emergency personnel reached the individual at 3:45 p.m. Emergency services personnel waded across several channels to reach the woman. She was found extremely hypothermic and minimally responsive, showing signs of severe cold-water immersion. Personnel carried her from the field for transport to Providence Valdez Medical Center, where she received aggressive rewarming and further treatment.