Angler helps officer make Thanksgiving Day rescue of 2 people submerged in car, cops say
A good Samaritan fishing on Thanksgiving Day helped rescue two people whose car crashed into a river, Michigan authorities said.
Officers responded Nov. 28 just before 4:30 p.m. to a 911 call from someone who saw “a vehicle drive into the Kalamazoo River at a high rate of speed,” according to a news release from the Albion Department of Public Safety.
The caller, who was fishing in the area, swam out to the submerged vehicle and confirmed “two elderly occupants were stuck inside, including the driver who was in and out of consciousness,” authorities said.
Police said they believe the driver had a medical emergency, and it does not appear alcohol or drugs were a factor in the crash.
After arriving at the crash scene, Public Safety Officer Zach Behnke swam out, removed the driver from the vehicle and brought her to shore. She was taken to a hospital in critical condition, authorities said.
Behnke swam back out to the vehicle and used a rescue rope to bring a man in the passenger seat safely to shore, police said.
The Albion Department of Public Safety said it is “incredibly proud” of Behnke and is “thankful for his life-saving efforts.”
Albion is about a 95-mile drive west from Detroit.
This story was originally published November 29, 2024 at 9:04 AM with the headline "Angler helps officer make Thanksgiving Day rescue of 2 people submerged in car, cops say."
