8 Firefighters were swept into Lake Michigan during a dramatic rescue attempt late Sunday, Nov. 15, on the south pier in Muskegon. 9 Firefighters were injured with one suffering serious injuries. The search resumed Monday morning for the body of the missing civilian.
WHAT HAPPENED:.
The victim was initially swept off the pier with two others who got back to the pier. Waves reached 12 feet, with wind gusts over 50 mph. The first Firefighters on scene saw the man clinging to rocks on the north side of the pier at the Muskegon channel. Two Firefighters approached from the beach while 4 others got into a rescue boat.
Waves slammed the pier as Firefighters on shore made their way out. They made several tries to reach the victim before one of them was swept off the pier into the water. The Firefighter was injured but managed to get back to the pier. Muskegon Firefighters reorganized with North Muskegon and Norton Shores Firefighters. That crew took extreme efforts to reach the victim, but they, too, sustained injuries after being swept off the pier twice.
Muskegon Firefighters on the rescue boat “faced deadly conditions” and were not able to rescue the man from the water. A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter from Traverse City Air Station responded – but conditions were too rough for an air rescue. The Coast Guard and the Firefighters then tried another land rescue before 5 of them were swept into the water. After numerous heroic attempts, all rescuers were pulled from the water and one of them was taken by ambulance to the hospital – while eight others suffered less serious injuries. KTIYP’s.
