Elderly women rescued from hot tub at remote Kentucky cabin

A girls’ trip to a remote cabin in Kentucky nearly ended in tragedy when two women in their 80s took a soak in a hot tub and could not get themselves out of the heated water, rescuers said on Friday.

The group was enjoying a dip in the hot tub at a cabin in the Red River Gorge area in southeastern Kentucky earlier this month when two of the elderly women “were unable to get out of the tub because of pre-existing issues,” the Wolfe County Search and Rescue Team (WSCART) said in a post on its website.

Rescuers said the two women became unresponsive in the heated water after developing hyperthermia, a condition in which the body is overheated and cannot cool down.

A third woman got into the hot tub to keep their heads above the swirling water, while a fourth woman called 911 for help, according to the rescue team.

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Caretakers at the cabin had pulled the two women out of the hot tub when WSCART and the Wolfe County Sheriff’s Office arrived. One woman was partially responsive while the other was completely unresponsive and in critical condition. 

The unresponsive woman was taken to a shower, where the team applied cold water and ice. The partially responsive woman was moved outside where rescuers cooled her down using a hose and ice.

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Both women began to show signs of recovery after 20 to 30 minutes of cold-water immersion. EMS then transferred the women to a local hospital.

No details were immediately provided about the women’s pre-existing issues.

WSCART said the story is a “cautionary and educational moment,” warning the public that the recommended time for a hot tub soak is between 15 and 30 minutes.

“Ensure you are capable of exiting the hot tub once you enter, especially if you have any sort of disability,” the rescue team said. “Hyperthermia and heatstroke can be fatal, and this story could have ended much differently without the quick thinking of all those involved with this rescue.”