TAFT — A McAlester man was rescued from chilly Taft Lake after the two-man boat he and a friend were in capsized Tuesday afternoon.

Ronnie Maxwell, whose age was unavailable, was taken to Muskogee Regional Medical Center after being rescued by officers with Muskogee Fire and Rescue and the Muskogee County Sheriff’s Department. A spokesman for the MRMC emergency room said Maxwell was being evaluated.

Muskogee County Sheriff’s Deputy Eddie Walker said Maxwell and another man, Arnold Jackson of McAlester, were crappie fishing when the water started getting choppy. The boat was a two-man Predator 103 fishing boat.

“The waves got so high, it capsized the boat, and the boat took in water,” Walker said. “The owner of the boat was able to swim ashore, when a driver came by and called 911.”

Linda Kerr, who lives near the lake, said she saw Jackson get out of the water as she was driving by the lake.

“He made it to the road after swimming and came up to me,” she said. “He used my cell phone and I ran back to the house to get a blanket. The guy was in the water for about an hour.”

The Muskogee County Sheriff’s Department received the call for help at 5:10 p.m., the dispatcher said.

Kerr said she wrapped Jackson in a comforter to keep him warm.

Meanwhile, Ronnie Maxwell clung to the hull of the boat, Walker said. He said the boat had been tied to two anchors that held the boat stable in the choppy water.

“He was probably in the water for 43 to 44 minutes,” he said, estimating the water temperature to be about 55 degrees. “With the wind blowing on him while wet, the chill was probably a bit colder.”

Rescuers loaded Maxwell onto their boat and brought him to shore. On the shore, rescuers wrapped him up in blankets and put him on the stretcher. Maxwell was alert and able to speak.

Jackson asked Maxwell if he wanted more blankets.

Rescuers then pulled the small boat to shore.

Reach Cathy Spaulding at 918-684-2928 or Click Here to Send Email