Michigan DNR officers rescue man who fell into frigid river, stranded campers in separate incidents
March has proven to be busy for Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers, who completed two separate rescues within seven days.
Man hospitalized after falling off boat in frigid river
A 59-year-old man was fishing on the Au Sable River in Alcona County with a 10-foot boat on the afternoon of March 25.
The agency says the man texted 911 that he fell into the river while trying to get off the boat and had difficulty breathing.
"The DNR later learned that the man had open-heart surgery two years ago and had recently been feeling ill," the agency said in a news release.
The water was reportedly 39 degrees, and the air temperature was 32 degrees.
Alcona County Central Dispatch notified emergency responders of the incident around 2:16 p.m. DNR conservation officers Jeff Panich and Casey Pullum searched for the man using his last known GPS coordinates, which led them to a horse trail near the river.
The officers found the man from Caro, Michigan, after seeing footprints in the snow and one of his two dogs that were with him during the incident. The agency says the man was missing some clothes and standing with blood covering his legs and feet when he was found.
According to the DNR, the man collapsed onto Panich after saying, "help me."
While waiting for medical assistance in the woods, the man became unresponsive. The agency says Panich and Pullum then pulled the man to a river access parking lot nearby.
EMS personnel took the man to the hospital, where he is now recovering. Both dogs were secured and will be returned to the man when he's released from the hospital.
The boat has not been recovered.
The DNR urges people to check weather conditions before going on an outdoor trip, and to wear a life jacket if going onto or near the water.
Campers rescued from swamp in northern Michigan
On March 22 around 5 a.m., two campers called the agency's poaching hotline asking for help after getting stranded in Dead Stream Swamp in Roscommon County, the agency says.
The campers were dropped off at the swamp on March 21. Rain and snow fell during that evening, which soaked the campers and their gear.
"The temperature dropped to around 20 degrees Fahrenheit, which froze one of the men's inhalers and caused him to have difficulty breathing," the agency said.
Two conservation officers, Brian Olsen and Ben McAteer, responded to the caller's last known phone location and found the campers after hiking one mile into the swamp. A third conservation officer, Matt Zultak, would later join to assist with rescue efforts.
According to the agency, the officers made a fire to help warm the campers before packing up their gear and helping them out of the wetland.
Once out of the swamp, the campers were evaluated by Emergency Medical services personnel.
