Many racing shells have lightweight shoes screwed into the footrest of the shell. Rower enters the boat barefoot and inserts his/her feet into the shoes, then laces them. This provides the most stable platform for pushing with your legs - the 60% of power in sliding-seat rowing.
In the story you describe the most likely scenario was as follows:
-She entered the shell, attached her feet to the footrest, either with the screwed-in shoes or the more generic foot-straps.
-During the workout something caused her to capsize. In rowing capsizes, as in: "the boat upside down" are VERY rare. The riggers and oars act as natural "paddle floats", thus naturally preventing the boat from capsizing.
In my 6 years of rowing I was swimming many times, but never capsized.
The oar may have broken loose from the oarlock or she may have fainted [heart attack!?], thus entirely losing the balance and control of the boat.
-I suspect she fainted or otherwise became unconscious. Even being upside down, a young, fit, strong rower on flat and calm water could easily free herself from the footrest.
-You know the rest of the story...

: Safety issue: Tethers

: Although I was not on the water for few years now,
: I still follow the sea kayaking community,
: and wait for the moment I will return to the water.

: The details on this description are based on what was published
: on local media, and on my knowledge of the area.

: It is not meant to be a drama story and it is not meant
: to build the tension to keep you reading all the way to the end,
: so I will tell the end right now: For few days it was a tragedy, the victim
: was taken to the hospital,
: unconscious.
: On Thursday, 7th of MAY 2009 , 4 days after the incident,
: it was published that she regained consciousness and communicates
: with people around her (I must insert a personal remark here,
: I am so happy) .

: The incident took place on Monday 4th of MAY 2009
: in the "Yarkon" river in Tel-Aviv - Israel.

: The victim is a young woman, in her early 20's ,
: her name is Yasmin Feingold (published on local media)
: and she is the national academic rowing champion.
: she was rowing a single seat competition rowing boat.
: I myself am a sea kayaker, so I am not familiar with the terms
: describing these boats, but it's the type of boat being rowed
: with the back of the rower facing the direction of movement,
: and the seat is sliding back and forth.

: Well, I didn't know it until this incident, but it turns out that
: the rower's feet are tied to an anchor point on the boat.

: For reasons that had not been published, or unknown, she capsized.
: The river is quiet, flat, there are no waves and no turbulences,
: and there is no risk of hypothermia.
: The river is narrow enough for an average swimmer to cross it.
: It is assumed that the rower failed to release herself from the boat,
: and drowned.

: People walking on the riverbank saw her capsizing and when she failed
: to surface, they realized she drowned.
: For reasons known only to these people, they did not jump to the water
: to help her, however they did called an ambulance.

: After precious moments another person who passed by got it from
: the other people that under the capsized boat is a drowned rower,
: he did jump to the water and got to the boat but could not untie
: the rower from the boat, so he dragged the rower with the boat
: to the riverbank where the rower was separated from the boat.
: She had no pulse and no breathing.
: It was published that reviving actions succeeded and she was evacuated
: to hospital by ambulance, unconscious .
: It was also published that after 4 days she regained consciousness.

: That's all.
: learn.

: Erez