Motorcyclist survives flip into Lake Washington

A motorcyclist took an unexpected swim this morning when she flipped off the motorcycle she was riding and ended up in Lake Washington.

According to the Washington State Patrol, the unidentified woman, who was riding west on the Highway 520 bridge, got off at the Lake Washington Boulevard exit, but she was going too fast. as a result, her motorcycle hit the curb and launched her over the guardrail into the lake.

The rider, who fell the equivalent of three stories, was able to swim to one of the small islands near the University of Washington arboretum, said Kelly Spangler, WSP spokeswoman. Motorists who spotted the abandoned motorcycle called police who saw a helmet floating in the water.

Spangler estimated the woman swam about 25 yards. She said she suffered broken bones and was taken to Harborview Medical Center.