A man in Van Buren County, Michigan, is being hailed a hero after he helped save the life of a paraglider who crashed into an icy lake Friday.
“Van Buren County sheriff’s deputies said a witness saw the parasailing unit in the air and heard the motor begin to struggle at an altitude of 100-200 feet,” according to MLive.com.
Even though he did not see the actual crash take place, the man drove to the east end of Ackley Lake and realized that the craft had broken through the ice and the victim was trapped underwater.
Moments later, the citizen called 911 to alert first responders, then made his way out onto the ice toward the man, according to Fox 17.
“Police say the estimated time the paraglider was under the water was about five minutes, though he was dressed appropriately for flying in our current weather,” the report stated.
Thankfully, the citizen was able to help the man by lifting his head out of the frigid water, ABC 13 noted.
“He then gasped for breath,” the report said.
Sadly, the witness could not pull the man from the water by himself because his wet clothes were too heavy and he was still strapped into his gear.
However, when first responders arrived, they got both men to safety on the shore.
Following the daring rescue, the unconscious paraglider was taken to Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo for treatment.
In a press release, the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office said, “the victim is in critical condition, but he is stable and breathing on his own.”
A similar instance occurred when a fisherman was rescued after falling into an icy lake in Wayne County, New York, on February 9.
“The Alton Fire Department launched a rescue boat, and along with Trooper Gabriel Desanto, ENCON Officer Kevin Thomas, the concerned citizen, Gregory Crane, and others, were able to rescue Mr. Brudz from the freezing water,” according to the GeneseeSun.com.