Bodycam captures fisherman rescue on Kalamazoo lake
By: -----
Kalamazoo, MI - An angler from Kalamazoo is expected to make a full recovery after being rescued from a lake Wednesday morning.
The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety says officers were dispatched around 11:40 a.m. to a small lake near the Willow Creek Apartments on Greenleaf Circle. They found a 63-year-old man about 100 yards offshore, up to his shoulders in icy water, and unable to pull himself out.
“Members of KDPS Squad 6 arrived and donned cold-water rescue gear to safely enter the lake,” KDPS said in a news release.
Bodycam video shows the team making their way down to the water. Officer Aaron DeWaal made his way out onto the ice and was able to secure a life preserver around the fisherman. When police tried to pull him in, the ice broke, causing DeWaal to also fall into the water.
DeWaal was able to get out, reconfigure, and allow the team to pull again. This time, they were able to pull the man back to shore. From there, the fisherman was placed on a specialized tarp and carried up a hill to a waiting ambulance.
The fisherman was taken to a local hospital for treatment and is expected to make a full recovery. DeWaal stopped by the hospital afterward and the fisherman was able to thank him for his help.