Off-duty patrol border agent saves man from drowning in St. Mary's River near Sault Ste. Marie
An off-duty U.S. Border Patrol agent in a canoe rescued a man from drowning in the St. Mary's River near Sault Ste. Marie over the weekend.
On July 5, a man was pulling his two daughters in a tube when he fell out of his boat, according to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. The man was struggling to stay above the water and called out for help.
The off-duty agent heard the man, paddled over to him, placed a life vest on him and pulled him to shallow water, officials said. The agent and the man waved down an oncoming boat to search for the two girls.
The girls were found on shore and reunited with their dad. The two said they had fallen out of their tube but were able to swim to shore.
Sault Ste. Marie police officers found the boat a short while later, crashed into a sea wall, according to officials.
"This heroic agent did not hesitate to take action, turning this potentially tragic event into a positive one," said Detroit Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent Javier Geronimo Jr. in a statement. "Our agents are always on duty when it comes to public safety."
Border Patrol says it's the second time in recent weeks that agents from the Detroit Sector have saved someone from drowning.
