An Aberdeen Police officer helped rescue a woman struggling to stay afloat in the Chehalis River by swimming out to her Saturday night and bringing her back to shore.

Jared Berken, one of the Aberdeen officers on the scene, shed much of his police gear and swam to the woman, who was losing her grip as she clung to a wooden piling, according to a press release from Hoquiam Police Chief Jeff Myers.

On Saturday at 10:30 p.m., Hoquiam officers were called to the 28th Street Boat Launch along the Chehalis River on a report that a 28-year-old Hoquiam woman, reportedly distraught and unable to swim, had jumped into the water.

The three Hoquiam officers arrived and spoke to a 29-year old Hoquiam man who said his girlfriend was the woman who had jumped into the river. The man pointed out the area the woman was last seen in the water.

As officers searched the area, Sgt. David Blundred heard faint yelling from the river west of the boat launch. He requested help from the Hoquiam Fire Department, as well as the Coast Guard. Three Aberdeen officers also responded to assist.

Officers followed the sounds of the woman’s panicked voice and splashing. They had to traverse a creek and run down the shoreline at low tide, using their flashlights in the darkness, trying to follow the woman’s cries.

After running west on the moss-covered and rocky shoreline for about 300 yards, officers located the woman about 30 yards offshore. She screamed for help while splashing and trying to stay afloat. The tide was pulling her downstream and out toward the harbor.

Officers attempted to calm the woman and coax her to float on her back to the shore, but she went under the surface before emerging in a panic, struggling and trying to stay afloat and swim against the tide, Myers wrote in a news release. Officers directed the woman toward nearby pilings in the river, and she was able to cling to one. She told officers she could not swim any further and was scared she was going to drown.

Berken indicated he was a strong swimmer and volunteered to enter the water to rescue the woman when it became clear she would not be able to hold on to the piling until the Coast Guard rescue boat arrived from Westport.

Officers were not able to reach the woman with a “rescue disk” flotation device because of the distance and her level of fatigue, the release said. It was clear the woman’s grip on the piling was weakening, and she told officers she could not hold on or swim anymore. Berken shed much of his police gear in order to swim out to the woman.

The officer spoke with her calmly and explained to her how he would be physically swimming with her back to the shore, Myers said. Berken was able to rescue her from the piling, swimming with her the remaining 20 yards to shore, where she was pulled from the water.

The woman appeared to have been drinking and complained only of being cold. She also had lacerations to her legs from the wood piling, the release states. She was treated at the scene by Hoquiam paramedics before being transported to Grays Harbor Community Hospital for a mental health evaluation and medical treatment for her injuries.

Blundred commended Berken’s actions to Aberdeen Police Chief Steve Shumate: “While the actions noted above speak clearly for Officer Berken’s importance in this incident, I would like to reiterate how important it was that Officer Berken showed great self-awareness and character during this incident,” Blundred said. “Officer Berken spoke up and made me aware of his individual ability in a difficult moment. He was confident, but not reckless and knew he had the individual skill set to work toward a safe outcome in this life or death type of situation. While many would have over-exaggerated or over-estimated their own abilities, Officer Berken was keenly aware of his individual abilities and clearly understood the risk he was taking on for himself. He volunteered himself for a very difficult challenge which he carried out flawlessly through his character, tact, and excellent communication with myself and the female in the river. If not for Officer Berken speaking up about his ability and confidence to swim out to the female this incident could have likely resulted in a very tragic outcome.”

Myers wrote that the Hoquiam Police Department “continues to appreciate the assistance of our law enforcement partners from the Aberdeen Police Department.”

“With incidents such as this, the additional help is needed and is greatly appreciated, especially on the graveyard shift when on-duty resources are the most limited,” he wrote. “This is yet another example of how both communities are better served by the close partnership between our two departments.”