Brian R. Gadwell helped to rescue Ethel M. Woodger from drowning, Detroit, Michigan, April 17, 2017. At night in a park adjacent the Detroit River, Woodger, 34, fell from a concrete bulkhead into cold, deep water from which there was no easy egress. A police officer alerted to the incident, Gadwell, 39, and another officer, responded to the scene. Gadwell and the officer, moved to the top of the bulkhead that was about 6 feet above the water’s surface and observed Woodger struggling to stay afloat. Gadwell removed his duty gear and jumped into the cold water, the temperature of which was estimated to be in the 40s. Gadwell grasped Woodger about her torso and moved with her to the bulkhead, where he wrapped his legs around her and held to a steel rod that jutted from the bulkhead. Gadwell, for several minutes, secured Woodger at the bulkhead, keeping her afloat. Ultimately, he struggled to retain his hold on the rod and called out that he was losing his grasp. The other officer jumped into the water and took control of Woodger, keeping her afloat while also grasping the rod. A boat responded from nearby and Woodger, who had drifted a few feet away and beyond the other officer’s reach, was pulled into the boat by its crew. Gadwell and the other officer were lifted up from the water by emergency personnel who had responded to the scene. Woodger was taken by ambulance to the hospital. Gadwell was taken by ambulance to the hospital for treatment of his exposure to the cold water. He recovered. 89123-10010
89123 – 10010
89123-10010