Police Officer Jumps Into River To Save Man's Life

LORAIN, Ohio -- A Lorain police officer is being credited with saving the life of an elderly man Saturday morning.

The officer jumped into the Black River where it empties into Lake Erie around 9 a.m. after finding the unidentified man struggling in the river, officials said.

Police and the Coast Guard were called to the location by someone who saw the recreational fisherman fall into the water.

The man had fallen in the water from a pier, Coast Guard officials said.

The U.S. Coast Guard's Lorain station personnel assisted the officer in removing the man from the river.

"We arrived on scene and a Lorain Police Department officer had a line tied to his hand, so we went bow-in and passed a life jacket to the man," said Boatswain's Mate 3rd Class Marco Worsley in a press release. "He had a laceration from the fall, and he said he lost feeling in his left arm."

A news release said Seaman Heath Brewer and firefighter Caleb Rank pulled the man from the approximately 50-degree water, and Boatswain's Mate 2nd Class Chris Jones treated him for shock once he was safe on board.

Emergency medical services personnel were awaiting the man at the boat launch.

The rescued man, who had been in the water about 10 minutes, was showing signs of hypothermia, according to the Coast Guard.