RedactedNarrative: On Sunday, May 8th, 2022 at approximately 1137 hours Maryland Natural Resources Police, responded to the North Branch Potomac River in Swanton, Garrett County, Maryland on the opposite shoreline from the Barnum Railtrail and Whitewater Area in Barnum, Mineral County, West Virginia for a water rescue.  Initial information from Mineral County, West Virginia emergency services indicated that a female subject had fallen overboard into whitewater and was being carried downstream.  Maryland State Police Trooper was requested at approximately 1200 hours and during our response to the scene at approximately 1205 hours, DNR Communications forwarded additional information from Mineral County that the subject had been removed from the water to the Maryland shoreline approximately 1/4 mile downstream from the Barnum, West Virginia campground.
  
  We arrived on scene of the North Branch Potomac River at the Paul Sarbanes River Access Trail of the Army Corps of Engineers Jennings-Randolph Lake property at approximately 1210 hours and continued on foot to locate the victim.  Trooper 5 arrived on scene at approximately 1212 hours.  At 1213 hours, Garrett County and Mineral County responders were advised to delay launching rescue vessels until Jennings-Randolph Lake Dam tenders could reduce water levels to safer conditions.  Officer First Class arrived on scene at approximately 1229 hours and was advised to remain at the staging area at the base of the access trail while we located the victim and developed an extrication plan.  At 1243 hours, Mineral County was requested to launch vessels to transport the victim from the inaccessible Maryland shoreline to the West Virginia shoreline where first responders were waiting.  We lost remaining cellular telephone and portable radio reception around that time.
  
  After an extended response on foot through undeveloped terrain along the Maryland shoreline of the North Branch Potomac River, we observed first responders on the opposite shore at the Barnum, West Virginia fishing and boating access location at approximately 1300 hours.  We determined from those individuals that the victim had already been removed and transported.  At approximately 1314 hours, OFC. was requested to respond to the West Virginia shoreline to gather further information.
  
  At approximately 1345 hours, DNR Communications advised per SYSCOM that Trooper had transported the victim to the UPMC Western Medical Emergency Room in Cumberland, Allegany County, Maryland.  Cpl. and OFC. were requested to respond to that location to interview the victim.
  
  At approximately 1356 hours, OFC. made contact with four witnesses involved in the rescue and identified them.
  
  Victim had entered the whitewater area of the North Branch Potomac River near Barnum, Mineral County, West VIrginia in Operator's green 10' 2019 Saturn inflatable raft at approximately 1100 hours.  They were accompanied by Subject1 in a blue 9' Zet Toro kayak, Subject2 in a multicolored 6' Jackson Sidekick kayak, and two others in a green 12' Rocky Mountain Phatcat raft.  The bow of Operator's raft struck a wave and Victim fell overboard over the starboard side of the raft.  Victim quickly became trapped in a hydraulic hole on the downstream side of a boulder in the river.  
  
  Witnesses estimated that she was trapped in the hole for approximately 5-10 minutes and was forced underwater more than a dozen times as her faced turned red and then white.  Operator exited his raft on the West Virginia shoreline and unsuccessfully attempted to retrieve Victim from the hole multiple times.  Subject1 and Subject2 exited their kayaks as they approached Victim's location from upstream and Subject2 used his paddle to force her out of the hole, at which time the current began carrying her farther downstream.  Subject1 and Subject2 returned to their kayaks and paddled downstream approximately 1/4 mile until they caught up to Victim and pulled her to the Maryland shoreline.  Subject1 and subject3 treated Victim for signs of potential hypothermia and began walking her upstream until they were retrieved by Mineral County vessels and transported to the West Virginia shoreline.
  
  Victim was treated and discharged by UPMC Western Maryland at approximately 1703 hours.
  
  
  All events occurred in Mineral County, West Virginia and Garrett and Allegany Counties in Maryland.
  