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Men Pull Local From Waterway |
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Monday, 08 June 2009 |
By MIKE BURKHOLDER
Managing Editor
ST. MARYS — A pair of men, one of whom works for the city, pulled a Celina resident from the Miami and Erie Canal Saturday afternoon — an act the police chief says saved his life.
According to a police report from the St. Marys Police Department, Eddie R. Badertscher, 63, was traveling eastbound on High Street on a John Deere tractor when he is believed to have suffered a medical emergency. Badertscher drifted into the other lane of traffic, struck a guardrail and ended up in the canal.
“The tractor was completely submerged,” St. Marys Police Chief Greg Foxhoven said. “He was face down in the water.”
Foxhoven said Casey Luedeke, a city worker who was not working at the time, saw the accident and jumped into the canal to help Badertscher.
Luedeke pulled Badertscher to the bank of the canal where off-duty auxiliary firefighter Eric Now helped pull them to shore.
“It’s an obvious credit to them,” Foxhoven said of Luedeke’s and Now’s actions.
“He (Luedeke) didn’t hesitate at all — he went in immediately. I don’t know what he current condition is, if it’s life threatening, but their actions saved his life.”
Foxhoven said Now assessed Badertscher’s condition and a rescue squad arrived moments later. Badertscher was taken to Joint Township District Memorial Hospital, where Foxhoven said he was later taken via Life Flight to another hospital.
“He was conscious when they pulled him from the water,” Foxhoven said. “We are still uncertain what kind of medical condition he suffered. It could possibly have been a seizure.”
Foxhoven said a fuel fire broke out on the surface of the canal as a result of the incident.
Midway Towing pulled the tractor from the water. |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 15 July 2009 )
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