Ice Rescue Saves 63-Year-Old Fisherman in Kalamazoo

When a 63-year-old fisherman broke through the ice on a Kalamazoo lake Wednesday morning, he had nothing but a piece of ice between him and disaster. But what happened next proves that help is never too far away when brave people answer the call.

Officers from the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety arrived at 11:39 AM near Willow Creek Apartments to find the man shoulder-deep in frigid water, 100 yards from shore. He was holding onto a chunk of ice, fighting to stay afloat as minutes ticked by.

The ice was too unstable for officers to walk across safely. That's when Squad 6 arrived with specialized cold-water rescue equipment, turning a life-threatening situation into a rescue mission with real hope.

EO Tech Aaron DeWaal suited up and entered the icy lake. He reached the exhausted fisherman, secured a life preserver around him, and carefully guided him back to solid ground where an ambulance waited to rush him to a local hospital.

The story gets even warmer. DeWaal didn't consider his job finished when the rescue ended. He later visited the fisherman at the hospital to check on his recovery, showing that heroism often extends beyond the moment of crisis.

Why This Inspires

This rescue reminds us that emergency responders train for the worst moments so the rest of us can survive them. DeWaal and his team didn't hesitate when unstable ice made the mission dangerous. They had the skills, the equipment, and the courage to act when seconds mattered most.

The fisherman is expected to make a full recovery, a testament to both quick emergency response and specialized training. What could have ended in tragedy became a story of preparation meeting crisis at exactly the right moment.

Kalamazoo officials are now reminding residents that ice conditions remain unpredictable as temperatures fluctuate. A frozen lake can change from seemingly solid to dangerously thin in hours, making caution essential for anyone venturing onto winter waters.

One man went fishing Wednesday morning and nearly lost everything, but he's going home to his family because a team of professionals were ready when it mattered most.