A possible drowning turned into a successful rescue at Michigan City’s lakefront.

Crews were called to the 800 dock at Heisman Harbor around 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 24, where they found a middle-aged woman in the water wearing a life jacket and clinging to a pylon near her sailboat.

Firefighters lowered a ladder, and the woman-who was conscious and alert-climbed out on her own before being helped onto the dock. She was taken to the hospital as a precaution for possible hypothermia; the water was 49 degrees.

WSBT reports officials as saying she slipped off the back of her boat while preparing it for winter storage. Her husband tried to pull her out but couldn’t, so he called 911.

Harbor staff say the life jacket likely prevented a tragedy.