Jul 6, 2008 7:15 pm US/Central
Daughter Talks About Mother Who Drowned In River
(WCCO)
Searchers on Sunday found the body of a Minnesota woman who disappeared while swimming with her daughter and her daughter's friend. It happened Saturday afternoon in the St. Croix River near Troy Township in Wisconsin. Onlookers rescued the girls but couldn't save 41-year-old Lona Donahue.
"This big wave came and pushed us out farther into the water. And we thought we were still in shallow but we realized we couldn't touch," said Elizabeth Donahue, describing how the three got into trouble in the water.
The 13-year-old and her friend were treated at Hudson Hospital but were not hurt.
"I was just in shock and I wanted just somebody to be there and I wanted it to be my mom," said Elizabeth, about being at the hospital.
Elizabeth, her mother, Lona, and a friend were swimming off Pembles Beach on Saturday. They were standing on a sandbar about 100 yards from shore when a big wave pushed them over and into deep water.
"So we started struggling and so we started floating on our backs and yelling for help," said Elizabeth.
Matt Finley was on the beach and heard the girls screaming. He rushed to help and grabbed Elizabeth, who was going under.
"I was just so happy that he was there and he just told me to stay calm and starting swimming be back to shore," said Elizabeth.
"It was really scary, halfway back I started to struggle, that current and the waves were really strong and it was choppy I had to yell back for help," said Finley.
Another man jumped in to save the other girl, but there was no sign of Lona.
Searchers found her body late Sunday morning about 350 feet from shore, in water about 50 feet deep. Lona Donahue had five children and was expecting her second grandchild any day. Her children say she was goofy, fun-loving and always took care of everybody else.
A lieutenant with the St. Croix County Sheriff's Department said if not for the Good Samaritans, the girls probably would not have survived.
Elizabeth and her family are extremely thankful to the rescuers, who were strangers.
Matt Finley told us he took a lifeguard certification class in high school, which helped him know what to do. He never realized it would actually help him save a life.
"It feels good," said Finley.
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