Ferry jumper rescued by crew on Seattle-Bainbridge route

SEATTLE — A 67-year-old woman who jumped from the deck of a Bainbridge-bound ferry was rescued by crew members Friday afternoon, according to a Washington State Ferries spokesman.

At 2:15 p.m. Friday, passengers reported that a woman had jumped from the back deck of the Puyallup as it was headed from Seattle to Bainbridge.

Crew members responded by throwing a life ring to the woman and launching a rescue boat, WSF spokesman Brian Mannion said. They were able to successfully get the woman into the boat and return her to shore in Seattle.

"The whole thing took less than 10 minutes, the crew acted exactly as they were supposed to," Mannion said.

Mannion said the woman was conscious when she was pulled into the lifeboat and was taken to a hospital.

The ferry headed back to Seattle after the rescue. The woman was from King County, according to the Washington State Patrol.

Passengers jumping from ferries is not a common event, Mannion said, but it does happen. Crew members drill at least once a week on how to respond to a passenger in the water.

Mannion thanked the onlookers who reported the incident to crew members.

"This is a case of 'if you see something, say something' making a difference for this person," Mannion said.

Both boats on the Seattle-Bainbridge route will likely run behind schedule for the rest of the day. WSF is conducting an internal investigation and the Washington State Patrol will also investigate.