LAKE COUNTY, Mich. - A conservation officer with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources saved a woman whose kayak overturned in the Pere Marquette River.
Kyle Publiski was the first emergency responder where he found a 30-year-old woman clinging to a tree that had fallen into the river. The woman had been in the water for about 45 minutes and showed signs of hypothermia.
“With the river’s water level being very high, swift currents and cold water temperatures made the situation more difficult,” said Publiski.
The woman, who was kayaking with a friend, said she could not swim and was not wearing a life jacket. She also said she couldn't feel her hands or feet.
Publiski created a lifeline by tossing a throw bag to the woman and instructed her to wrap the rope under her arms and around her torso.
Once the woman grabbed the rope, Publiski threw her a life jacket, but she was able to only get one arm through it. At that time, officers from the U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement and Lake County Sheriff's Department arrived to assist Publiski.
The woman let go of the tree but was pulled downstream by a strong current and became entangled on a different log. Publiski jumped into the water and was able to get the woman untangled from the log and safely to shore.
“From the time that I arrived at the river to the time that we were able to get the woman safely to shore, it was about six to seven minutes total,” Publiski said.
The woman displayed extreme signs of hypothermia and was unable to walk, so the first responders put her in an emergency Stokes basket and carried her about a quarter mile where an ambulance was waiting.
The woman was transported to Ludington Hospital and treated for hypothermia.
Publiski has been with the DNR since 2004 and patrols Mason County.
“Conservation Officer Kyle Publiski made a quick decision to enter the river to help this woman, risking his own life to save her,” said Chief Gary Hagler, DNR Law Enforcement Division. “Conservation officers receive extensive water training and are prepared to respond to situations like this. I’m glad that Publiski and the other law enforcement agencies were able to help in what could have been a tragic situation.”
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