DETROIT – Four boaters were rescued Tuesday after a boat capsized on the Detroit River just south of the Gordie Howe International Bridge.
Dan Mores, a Good Samaritan who helped with the rescue, said he and his friends were fishing when he noticed the boat.
“It was rough. 5-foot waves out there,” Mores said. “I just happened to catch the boat out of the corner of my eye. At the time, all the guys were on the boat, and then I turned, and that was it. It was going down.”
The U.S. Coast Guard said the boat capsized just after 11 a.m. At the time, the water temperature was about 47 degrees.
Mores said his group rushed to help and used safety ropes they had on board.
“It took quite a few tosses to get to him,” Mores said. “Thank God those guys had something on the seawall to hang onto to keep them afloat otherwise, they wouldn’t have made it at all.”
Bob Grimes — a retired police sergeant from Jackson, Ohio — said he arrived just as the other group was struggling to get the fourth man aboard.
“Their boat was too tall. My boat sits pretty low to the water,” Grimes said. “It was a joint effort. We were able to drag him into my boat in the back end,” he said. “He was worn out, spent, but he was talking. Then the Coast Guard and the sheriff’s office showed up.”
All four men were taken back to the Delray Boat Launch and treated by EMS.
“Thank God that people were in the right place at the right time,” Grimes said.
Dangers of Cold Water
The U.S. Coast Guard reminds boaters to check water conditions before heading out and while on the water, saying things can change in an instant.
The graphic below explains cold shock, which is what happens to the body when it first enters the water.
This next graphic explains the dangers of cold water when temperatures are between 45-50 degrees Fahrenheit: