Boater, neighbor save Cass Co. swimmer

DOWAGIAC, Mich. (WOOD) - Two people revived a 66-year-old woman after she nearly drowned in a Cass County lake.

Witnesses told police Kathleen Baliunas of Dowagiac was swimming near her pier at Magician Lake when she became disoriented. She then began to struggle and disappeared under the water.

Juan Bethancourt of Plainfield, Ill., and his wife were traveling by in their boat and noticed the situation unfolding around 6:20 p.m. Sunday.

Bethancourt jumped from his boat and pulled Baliunas, who was not breathing, from the water and onto the end of the pier, according to a news release.

Shelly Hennen, 58, of Dowagiac, who lives nearby and is a registered nurse, began CPR on Baliunas.

Bethancourt and Hennen were successful in reviving Baliunas.

An EMS crew arrived at the scene in the 31000 block of Maple Island Road in Silver Creek Township and took Baliunas to a hospital.

She is in stable condition.