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Wednesday, 31 December 2008 |
 Gayton Marks, 33, of Tyner, is pulled from the Yellow River by Plymouth Fireman Ed Marquardt (left) and Indiana State Police Trooper Ryan Lebo. Pilot Photos/Maggie Nixon By Rusty Nixon Correspondent
PLYMOUTH — A hunting trip turned into a brisk swim for one local man Tuesday.
Gayton Marks, 33, of Tyner (and Niles, Mich.), was trying to locate a place to hunt geese along the Yellow River near the middle bridge (near the Menominee Wetlands area) on Glen Overmyer Drive in Plymouth when the kayak he was in was swamped.
A passerby stopped on the bridge and Marks was able to call out that he was in trouble. He asked the person to call 911. The passerby informed Marks he didn’t have a cell phone and drove away.
“He was able to find his own cell phone which he had placed in a Ziploc bag and call 911 himself,” said Plymouth Fire Chief Andy Metsker. “That saved his life.”
Plymouth Police, Marshall County Police, Indiana State Police, Plymouth Fire and EMS and the DNR all responded. The Marshall County Dive Team made the rescue.
“Officer Mark Owen was first on the scene and he spotted him from the bridge,” said Plymouth Police Officer Chris Miller, who entered the water before divers arrived to assist Marks. “I believe Trent Shively was also on the bridge and I went into the water to assess his situation. He was standing waist-deep in the water.”
The dive team was called in to assist in the rescue, which was not an easy task.
“Any time you’re dealing with floodwaters that are fast moving — and cold — it’s not a good thing,” said Metsker, who is also a member of the dive team. “It was a very dangerous situation for both him (Marks) and the rescuers.”
Dive team members had to wade through shoulder high water to Marks’ location to attempt the rescue.
Marks was unhurt but was taken to St. JosephRegional Medical Center-Plymouth for precaution, where he was treated and releasd.
Consevation officers said Marks did have a life jacket behind the seat in the kayak, but urged all boaters to wear their jackets at all times.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 02 January 2009 )
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