|
Disaster averted at Pretty Lake |
|
|
Wednesday, 25 March 2009 |
 Two boaters come to the aid of City Attorney Nelson Chipman, at right, who had helped a man who had fallen into Pretty Lake while transporting a boat. Chipman is pictured here helping the man from the water. Pilot photo/Maggie Nixon By Rusty Nixon Correspondent
PLYMOUTH — A Pretty Lake resident took a swim a bit earlier in the season than he may have liked.
The Marshall County Dive team, along with the Plymouth Fire Department and officers from the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, responded to a call Tuesday evening at Pretty Lake of a boater in distress in the water.
“I was watching a gentleman pulling his pontoon in a rowboat,” said Chris Marohn, a resident of Pretty Lake who witnessed the incident. “After a moment, the boat disappeared and there was something in the water behind the pontoon. Don (Marohn) got out the binoculars and said that he was in the water and he called 911.”
“He was trying to walk between the rowboat and the pontoon when he just lost control and went in the water,” said Crystal Garza of the Plymouth Fire and EMS. “The wind was horrible and that had something to do with it. By the time we got there, it had actually blown everybody over to the shore. I think a dive team member was the only one who had to get in and he was just at the edge.”
First on the scene was Plymouth City Attorney Nelson Chipman who rowed out to lend assistance in a canoe.
“I was doing some painting and got a call from Don (Marohn) to look out in the lake, by that time he was over on my side,” said Chipman. “The first thing I thought of was that I’ve got to do something but there aren’t any boats out yet, so I saw Beckham’s canoe and filled it up with as many life jackets as I could find and headed out there.”
Chipman said the man was coherent but obviously suffering from the effects of the icy lake.
“I was afraid he was going to go under,” said Chipman. “I was able to help him get his leg up on the pontoon and straddle it to get out of the water and then the wind pretty much blew us to shore.”
No one was hurt in the incident and the boater refused medical treatment.
Because the boater was not treated, his name was not released by officials.
|
|
Last Updated ( Thursday, 26 March 2009 )
|
