Bystander Saves Girl From Drowning At Oologah Lake

Emergency crews credit a bystander for the saving the life of a little girl at Oologah Lake on Sunday.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol said the 7-year-old girl was swimming with family at Hawthorn Beach near the dam Sunday afternoon when she went under and didn't resurface. Her sister called for help and family members, other swimmers and bystanders rushed to help.

They found her and took her to shore where a bystander administered CPR. It's not clear who the bystander was.

“Without the civilian’s CPR, we would be dealing with another drowning victim out of Oologah Lake, that’s for sure,” said Lt. Josh Copeland, Northwest Rogers County Fire District.  

Copeland was the incident commander on the scene. He said the girl was conscious and breathing on her own when paramedics arrived. An ambulance took her to St. Francis Children's Hospital in Tulsa but the OHP said it expected her to be released.

Several agencies worked the scene. They included the OHP, Northwest Rogers County Fire Protection District, Oologah-Talala Emergency Medical Services, Oologah Police, Rogers County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.