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Community Corner

Kayak Trip at Beaverdam Reservoir Nearly Turns Tragic

One Ashburn resident, 10, became a 'special angel' to her new neighbor when every moment mattered.

A recent day on the water at Beaverdam Reservoir turned ugly, but thanks to the will of 10-year-old Kayla Panica, Lori Polley has quite a tale to tell.

During the late July heat wave, Polley decided to introduce her new neighbors, the Panica family, to their new town with an exciting day out on the waters at Beaverdam Reservoir. The Panicas recently moved to Ashburn Village from Manchester, NH.

“Erin and I used to work together 10 years ago when Kayla was just a baby,” Polley explained, referring to her friend Erin Panica and Panica’s daughter. “After they moved away, she and her husband Charles had three more kids. That day was the first time I had gotten to see Kayla again since she was a baby.”

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Polley took up kayaking this past summer and thought a day fishing on the reservoir with kayaks and inner tubes would make a nice, affordable outing. The two families set out on three kayaks, paddling down to the reservoir’s bridge to set up camp.

“We sat there and watched the teenagers jump from the bridge,” Polley said. “It was so fun, such a great time.”

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Aware of the heat, Polley kept offering the group, particularly the children, fluids. Everyone declined, but Polley was really thirsty and kept drinking fluids.

“It was during the major heat wave,” Polley explained. “We didn’t have room for the big cooler but I had a little cooler that had a couple of waters and sodas with me. I felt very guilty that I was the only one drinking; how ironic that it ended up being me that went down.”

Adults focused of their afternoon on entertaining the children. Since the older girls were enjoying the fishing experience, Polley and her daughter took them out into deeper water hoping to increase the chance of catching a fish. The younger of the two girls quickly tired of the activity and moved on, while Polley and Kayla, 10, continued casting for fish.

“We started drifting and got pretty separated from the group,” Polley said. “I could see them, but we couldn't really hear each other. When they started packing up, I waved and asked if they wanted us to come to them and they declined.”

As Polley and Kayla continued to fish, the first kayak, manned by Charles Panica and carrying the youngest of the children, passed them.

“When they passed, things were still fine,” Polley said, but “right when they got out of range, I noticed that everything didn’t feel right. I didn’t feel so good.”

Hoping it was just a minor problem, the two pulled in their fishing rods and Polley started paddling the duo’s kayak in the direction of the launching dock. Without much warning, things went blurry for Polley.

“She started to say, ‘Kayla, I feel a bit sick. Do you mind paddling,’” Kayla explained during a recent interview. Just as the young girl started paddling, Polley began to vomit. “So I started paddling harder,” Kayla said.

Realizing her that own health was continuing to plummet, Polley kept giving Kayla words of encouragement.

“I knew if we waited, I would be in big trouble,” Polley said. “We needed to get to shore, but, unfortunately, no one was within earshot of us.”

Kayla said he father was too far away to hear and that the passengers in the other boat were unaware there was a problem.

“We kept calling them, but they thought we were wondering where they were,” Kayla said. Kayla was going to have to paddle the kayak to shore on her own. Despite her young age, she maintained her cool.

“I was more worried about getting her to shore than getting me to shore,” Kayla said, adding that she was focused. “I was trying to get to my dad.”

During what was estimated as about a 30-minute time period, Polley regained consciousness for short periods of sickness. When she passed out, her entire body weight rested on the back of this small girl.

“It was so hard on her because she wasn’t in the right position to oar, plus she had all my body weight on her back,” Polley said. “Yet she never lost it; she kept going and going. Unless you were there in that moment, it is impossible to picture what we were going through.”

Halfway between the bridge and the docks, Polley awoke briefly and heard Kayla verbalize her internal struggle: “I don’t know if I can make it … I can; I know I can.”

As Kayla made her way to the launching dock, an unknown gentleman named James paddled his blue kayak towards the pair and offered help. Kayla started yelling, “I need help, help, help!” James tied the kayaks together and pulled the pair to shore.

When they got to shore, Polley was unconscious. Emergency personnel transported her to Inova Loudoun Hospital.

The EMTs told Polley how lucky she was for the quick thinking and clear headedness of little Kayla. Another 10 minutes on the water could have resulted in Polley slipping into a coma.

“If Kayla hadn’t done what she did, I would have been in real trouble,” she said.

Polley spent the night in the hospital. Her temperature was 107 degrees upon admission and multiple bags of fluid were required to stabilize her.

Precautions were followed that day. Polley drank fluids, albeit caffeinated soda.

“I have this protective plastic case that I always have on the top of the boat that has my cell phone in it,” Polley explained. “My cell phone was right there, but I was so out of it that I was unable to explain to her to get the phone.”

The main mistake that Polley sees was separating too far from the group. 

“If only we had stayed within contact of the other boats, everything would have been fine,” she said.

Polley remains very grateful to Kayla: “She is this little special angel in my life."

Despite the drama, Kayla said the water is one of her favorite places to be.

“I love being out on the water,” she said. “I would go back out anytime. I love it.”

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