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July 26, 2018
Contact: Lt. John Jurcich, 269-685-6851
Conservations
officers rescue Montague woman from Manistee River
Quick actions of two Michigan Department of Natural Resources
conservation officers earlier this month resulted in a successful water rescue,
saving a woman from drowning in the Manistee River.
CO Sam Koscinski and CO Scott MacNeill were conducting
marine patrol on the river in Manistee County when they noticed a distressed
female in fast-flowing water, located north of Tippy Dam. Elisabeth Aldridge,
22, of Montague, Michigan, was wrapped around a log being pulled by the
current, her head barely above water.
Aldridge and her friends were swimming when the strong
current took her further into the river. One of Aldridge’s friends was trying
to reach the log where Aldridge was stuck, but struggled against the current. Officers
Koscinski and MacNeill arrived on scene and advised the friend to return to
shore.
“Many
times each year DNR conservation officers are involved in saving lives while
responding to life-threatening calls for assistance or, like this instance,
coming across citizens in distress,” said Chief Gary Hagler, DNR Law
Enforcement Division. “We are very proud of the efforts of CO Koscinski and CO
MacNeill – their actions prevented this event from turning into a tragedy for Ms.
Aldridge, her family and friends.”
Tangled in old fish lines, Aldridge’s arm was punctured by
fish hooks.
“Had the conservation officers not shown up when they did,
who knows how long I would have rested on that log, trying to pry hooks off and
slide myself along the log to land,” said Aldridge.
“This
is a great example of why it is important to maintain a strong cadre of highly
trained conservation officers to patrol Michigan’s 83 counties,” said Chief
Hagler.
Battling the river current, CO Koscinski controlled the DNR boat as it fought additional current created from water hitting Aldridge’s body. He then positioned the boat to provide Aldridge support while CO MacNeill reached over the bow to temporarily secure Aldridge in a lifejacket.
CO MacNeill cut the fish lines attached to the hooks in
Aldridge’s arm. When Aldridge broke free from the original lines, CO Koscinski maintained
the boat to protect Aldridge from the strong current. Holding onto the boat,
Aldridge’s legs became tangled in additional hooks and lines – the force of her
body causing the bow of the boat to drop further into the water.
Officer Koscinski controlled the boat while CO MacNeill held
Aldridge and provided her a knife to free her legs from the lines. In a state
of shock, Aldridge was pulled into the boat where she was able to recover.
“It is important to keep safety in mind when enjoying activities
in fast-moving waters. Once the water gets too strong, it's hard to stop,” said
Aldridge. “I really appreciate the work the conservation officers do.”
Michigan
conservation officers
are fully commissioned state peace officers who provide natural resources
protection, ensure recreational safety and protect citizens by providing
general law enforcement duties and lifesaving operations in the communities
they serve.
/Note to editors: Accompanying photos are available below for download. Caption information follows.
Koscinski-Samuel-2017: Conservation Officer Sam Koscinski
MacNeill-Scott-2017: Conservation Officer Scott MacNeill
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