There are some lakes you don’t even look at, let alone swim in and Lake Merritt in California is definitely one of them. Anyone diving into that water has to be out of their mind. But that didn’t stop one woman, who launched herself straight into the filthy lake without a second thought.
According to the person who filmed the incident, she had been partying before wandering off and deciding the lake was her next destination. Instead of trying to climb out, she stayed in the water until rescuers arrived. And with how notoriously dirty Lake Merritt is, none of the rescuers wanted to jump in after her.
It didn’t help that the woman appeared drunk. The moment she saw police, she slurred, “What is all these people?” making the bizarre scene even stranger.
The rescuers did everything they could to stay out of the nasty water while still trying to help the California woman. One of them even warned her that the lake was “not that clean” and full of bacteria. Another officer urged her to swim toward the wall, likely so they wouldn’t have to get in, but she refused to move.
Because she wasn’t cooperating, one of the rescuers finally went into the filthy water himself. He brought a rescue board and encouraged her to grab on, but she still refused. He even reassured her that he wouldn’t touch her during the rescue.
At last, they managed to pull her from the lake while she kept insisting that she didn’t trust them or trust people at all. To make the scene even more chaotic, she wasn’t wearing pants.
At least the rescuers got her out safely, and hopefully she stays far away from Lake Merritt from now on.
People Reacting to the California Woman’s Actions
Anyone who lives in California knows how disgusting Lake Merritt is. This is why most comments were shocked that the woman willingly jumped in there. Since the rescuers looked like they didn’t want to join her, one person wrote, “Hella funny even the rescuers didn’t wanna jump in.” Someone else then added, “I know he was mad he had to go in there.” Others said that they wouldn’t even want to stay alive if they ever came near the lake. “If lake Merritt water ever touched me just bury me for good. Poor lady,” one woman commented. Another person replied and said, “I hate having to walk on the water side of the path because all I think about is how awful it would be to fall in.”
More people from California chimed in about just how disgusting Lake Merritt really is. One person said, “I’m nauseous just watching it. The smell alone.” Another agreed, adding, “I smell this through the screen. I hate going to Lake Merritt.”
Commenters began sharing horror stories about things they’ve seen in the lake. One person wrote, “I discovered rats could swim because I saw one swim out of this lake!” Another added an even more disturbing memory: “My dad and I were at Lake Merritt in the 70s, and they found a foot. We saw them put it in a paper grocery bag.”
Given all of that, it would probably be wise for the woman to go straight to the hospital after her unexpected swim.
