During a fishing trip on the Eau Claire River in Altoona, Wisconsin, a father was saved by his son after falling into the freezing water. Alan Schlewitz and his son Sam were wearing life jackets when their boat suddenly tilted, sending Alan overboard into water, which they estimate was about 35-degrees. Alan struggled to breathe as the current pushed him back toward the boat, while Sam grabbed him and told him to hold on.
Sam kept one hand on his dad’s life jacket while steering the boat toward shore and calling for help from people nearby. He managed to beach the boat and pull his father out of the water before first responders arrived and took over.
Emergency crews treated Alan for hypothermia, high blood pressure, and shock, working on him for about 30 minutes. Sam says responders told him the outcome could have been very different without the life jacket. Both father and son are now stressing the importance of wearing life jackets and staying aware of changing river conditions.
Source: WQOW
photo: GETTY