Jackson, Mich. (WKHM) — Michigan State Police (MSP) troopers and deputies with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) conducted a rescue effort on Saturday morning while facing sub-zero temperatures and unsafe ice conditions.
At approximately 6:35 a.m. on January 24, JCSO deputies were dispatched to the 7500 block of Trophy Court to assist the MSP in locating a suicidal subject who had fled a residence on an off-road vehicle (ORV).
Deputy Brower was the first to arrive on the scene and immediately began tracking the ORV through the snow. The tracks led across a frozen lake, where the deputy discovered the vehicle had crashed.
Deputy Brower guided MSP troopers and Deputy Meyer to the crash site, where they located the subject suffering from life-threatening, self-inflicted injuries.
Facing temperatures well below zero and traversing unstable ice, the responders performed immediate life-saving measures.
Due to the remote location and the severity of the victim’s injuries, deputies and troopers improvised by fashioning a door from the ORV into a makeshift stretcher.
The team pulled the subject across the ice until a rescue sled arrived, at which point the victim was carried to an awaiting ambulance for transport to a local hospital.
“The ingenuity and physical stamina demonstrated by these deputies and troopers under extreme environmental conditions undoubtedly saved a life,” stated Undersheriff Anthony Stewart.
“Their willingness to risk their own safety on unstable ice and in freezing temperatures exemplifies the highest standards of public service.”
The JCSO says they are incredibly grateful for the quick thinking and bravery shown by our deputies and partners at MSP, and that their thoughts are with the individual involved in the incident and their family at this time.
The condition of the subject was not released.