Medford girl drowns at Emigrant Lake

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Medford girl drowns at Emigrant Lake ASHLAND - A 9-year-old Medford girl drowned Sunday in Emigrant Lake while playing with friends, the Jackson County Sheriff's Department says. Attempts to revive Julia Hernandez after she had been underwater five to seven minutes failed, said Sheriff's Deputy Ben Fazio. Julia was playing on a sandbar about 65-75 feet from the water's edge when she fell into a 10-foot hole, he said. Rescue efforts were hampered because the water was murky. Fazio said the high temperature of the water also hindered rescue efforts. "There have been case histories where lower water temperatures actually make it easier to revive someone," he said. Julia also had a very limited knowledge of swimming, he said. "The girl had limited swimming capabilities," he said. "Witnesses saw her go in and under. Her father and her father's friend and another gentleman began searching for her. It was the gentleman who recovered the little girl and continued with CPR." A helicopter was flown in to take the girl to Rogue Valley Medical Center, but she could not be revived. The drowning took place at Songer Wayside in an area where there are no lifeguards. Fazio said the children were playing on the sandbar because of the low water level in the lake.   Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.