Mom drowns in lake with her 5-week-old and 5-year-old kids on the boat, NC cops say
A 27-year-old mom drowned after she had an asthma attack in a North Carolina lake, officials say.
Hannah Maria Walker was on a pontoon boat on Friday, April 21, on Lake James when she jumped off the boat into the water, according to a news release from the Burke County Sheriff’s Office. Her fiancé, her 5-year-old son, her 5-week-old daughter and her fiancé’s friend were aboard the boat.
After a few minutes in the water, Walker — who had asthma — began to not feel well, deputies said. Her fiancé gave her an inhaler, but it made her condition worse and she fell unconscious.
Deputies said there was a struggle to get Walker back onto the boat because of its height. A Lake James community officer helped Walker’s fiancé and his friend get the boat to shore where CPR was started.
Officials did CPR for about 30 minutes before pronouncing Walker dead, the sheriff’s office said. The investigation is ongoing and an autopsy is pending.
Walker was visiting the lake from Asheville.
Drowning
At least 4,000 people die from drowning every year in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and drowning is a leading cause of death for children.
Some factors can make drowning more likely, including not knowing how to swim, a lack of close supervision, not wearing a life jacket and drinking alcohol while recreating near or in water.
The National Drowning Prevention Alliance said there are tips to help keep you safe in the water, including checking local weather conditions, never swimming alone and choosing the right equipment.
“Don’t hesitate to get out of the water if something doesn’t feel right,” the group said on its website. “Whether it’s that the current is getting rough, rain has started to fall, or your body is just not responding like you would like it to due to fatigue or muscle cramps, then just leave and return to the water another day. It’s always a good thing to trust your instincts.”
This story was originally published April 23, 2023 at 7:48 AM with the headline "Mom drowns in lake with her 5-week-old and 5-year-old kids on the boat, NC cops say."
