OSCODA COUNTY — A deputy as well as a bystander and two firefighters are being hailed as heroes Monday after rescuing a 17-year-old from drowning in the Au Sable River.
On Aug. 1 around 4:30 p.m., the Oscoda County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call of a 17-year-old male from Detroit who was in the Au Sable River near the Mio Hydro Dam and was struggling to stay above the surface and could not make it to shore after swimming in that area.
A deputy from the sheriff’s office arrived on scene within minutes of the call and attempted to assist the youth from the shore, but this was unsuccessful due to the teen’s fatigue and inability to grab onto the rescue disc, deputies said.
The deputy then entered the water, swimming upstream a short distance, and was able to grab the teen, who had been seen going under water several times and was near drowning, deputies said.
After a brief struggle and both deputy and victim going under the water on numerous occasions, with the help of a bystander and two Tri-Town fire fighters, the deputy was able to bring the youth to safety, deputies said. First aid was given to the teen as he struggled to breathe, until the Oscoda County EMS arrived.
Both the 17-year-old and the Oscoda County deputy were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, and both were released later that evening, deputies reported.
Deputies want to thank the Mio man who assisted the deputy, the Tri-Town Fire Department and the Oscoda County EMS for their help in this incident, as it could have been a fatal incident if not for the quick and proficient actions of all involved.