Man rescued from the Detroit River

By Sean Previl

A local man is in hospital after being rescued from the Detroit River.

Windsor Police were called to the riverfront June 2 shortly after 1 p.m. after a woman called 9-1-1 reporting she had watched a man jump off the railing near the intersection of Riverside Drive West and McKay Avenue.

“When the officer, Const. Jamie Fummerton, arrived he was flagged down by a woman with a couple young children who witnessed this man jump into the water,” said Staff Sgt. Steve Bodri.

Fummerton called for further assistance and went to retrieve a life preserver from his police cruiser.

“He threw the life-ring to the man in the water, but [the man] was resisting the officer’s efforts to pull him in,” said Bodri.

A witness, Larry Cookson, who was walking along the river said once other rescuers arrived they were able to pull him out without difficulty.

“Finally somebody had to go in the water, get [the preserver] on him and hang onto him and pull him out,” said Cookson.

RCMP and WPS marine units along with Windsor Fire were also at the scene.

Scott Lucier, another witness, said the man spoke with him before he jumped in the water.

“The man approached me, told me ‘I’m [going to] do something you don’t want to see,’” said Lucier. “I thought he was going to relieve himself or something, so I said ‘what’s that?’ and he said ‘I’m going to jump in.’ [He] took his leather coat off, dropped it where he was standing, walked over to the ledge, climbed the rail and dove in head first.”

Lucier said he went to call the police but by the time he reached his truck, police had arrived.

The man was rescued from the river and transported to hospital.

Bodri said he is in stable condition and Victim Services were also brought in to help the children who had witnessed the man jumping in the river.