RedactedNarrative: On 09/16/2022, at approximately 05:10 hours, I, Officer First Class, of the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP), arrived at the boat ramp located at Lander Road on the Potomac River in Frederick County, Maryland. At that time, I was off duty and had come to that location to go waterfowl hunting with two friends that were visiting from out of state. 
  
  As we arrived at the boat ramp and got out of my personal vehicle to launch my boat, we heard what sounded like a female voice screaming in distress. At that time, it was dark, and a heavy fog permeated the area. We shined a flashlight in the direction of the screaming, but the fog prevented us from seeing more than approximately 30 yards. It sounded like the person screaming was out in the river, closer to the Virginia side and slightly upstream of the boat ramp. It sounded like the person screaming was several hundred yards away. We walked to the river edge to better determine the distance and direction of the screaming. The person was screaming repeatedly, “Help. Someone, please help me!” The person sounded exasperated, and the pitch and tone of their voice indicated to us that they were in extreme distress. We yelled back to the person that we would launch a boat and would head toward them. As my two friends and I prepared to launch the boat, I contacted NRP dispatch and advised them of the situation as well as our intention to assist whoever was screaming.
  
       As we got the boat in the river, we called out to the person again, but they did not answer. We headed in the direction we last heard the person. Approximately two thirds of the way across the river, we located the person. When we came upon Subject1, she was in the water holding onto a rock. Subject1 was wearing a tee shirt, shorts, and a personal floatation device (PFD). Subject1 was holding onto the rock with one hand and was holding a submerged kayak with the other hand. The kayak was swirling in an eddy formed by the current behind the rock. Subject1 told us she flipped her kayak several hours ago and was unable to see because of the darkness and the fog. Subject1 said she was very cold and that she lost her phone and her car keys when she flipped. Subject1 told us that she had been drinking alcohol earlier that night but that now she was sober. Subject1 was crying and was difficult to understand. At one point Subject1 said, “I kayak all the time. I haven’t flipped my kayak since I was 14 years old.” Subject1 said, “My boyfriend thinks I’m cheating on him. I just needed a break. I needed to get away. I wanted to get out on the river one more time.”
  
      As I helped Subject1 into our boat, I could see and feel that her hands were pale, cold and wrinkled from being in the water a long time. I observed that her lips were blueish in color and she appeared to show signs of exhaustion and possibly hypothermia. I saw that, in addition to her PFD,  she had put her legs through the straps of a square floatable seat cushion which was now behind her buttocks below her life vest. Subject1 said while motioning toward the seat cushion, “I thought I was going to die. I put this on me to make sure someone would find my body. This river kept trying to suck me under. This was my worst nightmare”  
  
       We brought Subject1 back to the boat ramp as Jefferson Fire Company, ambulance 209 (run number F22028556) was arriving. EMS personnel escorted Subject1 to the ambulance and began removing her wet clothing to warm her up. At that time Frederick County Sheriff’s Deputy arrived on scene to assist. While removing Subject1’s clothing, EMS personnel found a loaded handgun in Subject1’s bra. The handgun was given to deputy as she was in the ambulance at the time. After Subject1 was wrapped in blankets, Deputy exited the ambulance and showed me the handgun.  I noted the handgun was a sub-compact Ruger LCP, .380 caliber. I watched as Deputy made the handgun safe by removing its magazine and pulling its slide to the rear which ejected a round from the chamber. Deputy placed the handgun, its magazine, and five rounds of .380 ammunition in the trunk of her patrol car.
  
        EMS personnel told me that Subject1 would be transported to Frederick Memorial Hospital where she would be treated for hypothermia.
  
       Just prior to locating Subject1 in the river, I received a call from the NRP duty officer. I put my phone on speaker mode and placed it in my shirt pocket so I could use both hands to assist Subject1. Sergeant told me that he was on another phone with NRP dispatch. Sergeant stayed on the phone call with me for the duration of the incident. He told me that Officer would be responding to Frederick Memorial Hospital where he would meet Deputy to take possession of the handgun.
  
  ALL EVENTS OCCURRED IN FREDERICK COUNTY MARYLAND
  