Maryland man describes terrifying hours in freezing waters before rescue

A Maryland man is thanking emergency responders for saving his life after he fell into the freezing Magothy River in February.

On February 23, Scott Gardiner fell overboard after he went to check on their boat and replace a dock line at the Twin Harbors Marina in Anne Arundel County. He survived hours in the frigid water.

"I did think that was it, I absolutely did," Gardiner said.

Gardiner described the terror, seeing light through the slats of the pier. He said the rest of the time in the water was a blur.

Gardiner had been in the water for more than two hours before his wife, Kathy, found him.

The rescue from frigid waters

When Kathy Gardiner returned home from a birthday party around 7:30 p.m., she saw that her husband's car was gone. She raced to the marina and found Gardiner in the water between the boat and the dock, clinging to a line.

"He was not responsive," Kathy Gardiner said. "I tried to pull his head, I grabbed his jacket to pull his head up because he was taking in water, and then I had to call 911."

Kathy Gardiner said she held onto her husband until help arrived.

"I imagine a lot of adrenaline kicked in, and I just held on," she said.

Corporal Trey Keller, Officer Jenna Sattler, and Corporal Douglas Bilter -- all from the Anne Arundel County Police Department -- were the first on the scene.

"[Kathy] was lying on the pier, arms hanging over holding her husband out of the water, while he was holding onto a line," Keller said.

"The clock is also continuously ticking when he's in the water; we know that we have to get him out," Sattler added.

Video shows the rescue

The officers, along with the paramedics, hoisted Gardiner out of the water, which was seen on police body camera footage.

"Hypothermia can set in very fast," Bilter said.

Scott Gardiner was rushed to the hospital. He survived and made a full recovery.

"Knowing that not only did he survive but he made a full recovery is a miracle, it really is," Keller said.

Reunited with responding officers

On March 30, Scott and Kathy Gardiner visited the Anne Arundel County Police Department to thank the officers who rescued him from the freezing waters.

"I really owe my life to my wife of 43 years and the great Anne Arundel County Police Department," Scott Gardiner said.

With boating season upon us, officers say it's important to always wear a life vest, keep a throwable on hand, and never get too comfortable in and around boats, no matter how much experience you have.

"Be mindful that anything can happen to anyone with water," Sattler said. "It's unpredictable."