U.S. Coast Guard to recognize boat crew, family for Detroit River rescues
(CBS DETROIT) - The U.S. Coast Guard will recognize J.W. Westcott II crew members and a local family in connection to Detroit River rescues in July 2023.
The ceremony will be held on Friday, Feb. 9, at the J.W. Westcott office in Detroit. Detroit residents Bernita Flowers, Terri George and Tionne George along with Sam Buchanan, the boat's captain, and Albert Holland, a crew member on the boat, will be presented with the Captain David P. Dobbins Award for there excellent search and rescue efforts," according to a release from the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Detroit.
Worker rescued after falling off Ambassador Bridge into Detroit River
On July 12, 2023, Flowers, Terri and Tionne were on the riverside when they saw a Canadian steel worker fall about 140 feet off the Ambassador Bridge and into the Detroit River.
They quickly ran to the nearby J.W. Westcott II and alerted the crew of the incident. Buchanan and Holland responded immediately.
The captain and crew member pulled the worker from the water. He sustained serious injuries in the fall.
Fisherman who fell into Detroit River rescued
On July 22, Buchanan led a rescue of a fisherman who fell over the shoreline retaining wall.
Buchanan retrieved the man, who had been clinging to the shore in order to not get swept down the river.
The Captain David P. Dobbins Award
This award recognizes outstanding search and rescue efforts and is named after Dobbins, the first superintendent of the U.S. Lifesaving Service of the Great Lakes in 1876.
"He distinguished himself by performing and organizing numerous heroic rescues during his career," coast guard officials said in the release. "In memory of his heritage, initiative and dedication, the award is presented to individuals who perform distinguished search and rescue acts on the Great Lakes. It links the outstanding performance of today to the heritage of Dobbins and the heroic rescue efforts he made during his lifetime."