GLENDALE, Wis. — It was about a year and a half ago when first responders rescued a driver who was submerged in the Milwaukee River in Glendale. It happened near Lincoln Park. Now, officers are being honored for their heroic actions.
"I never really imagined myself going into the river, but yeah definitely one of the craziest things I have had to do,” explains Glendale Police Officer Robert Wilson.
For the first time since the incident, Officer Wilson and Officer Andrew Reischl came back to the scene where they saved a 46-year-old man. Officer Wilson said it felt “surreal” to be back.
"Regardless of what brought the individual to the water, it's someone's family member. So I would hope that someone would do it for mine if they were in that situation," Officer Wilson says.
It was early afternoon on April 10, 2022, when they heard the call of an unresponsive driver who drove into the river.
Officer Wilson's first thought was "Someone’s potentially in the water so I gotta get in there to see if I can help."
Reports say the car was in an area of the river that was about 9 feet deep. Body camera footage shows the frantic moments in the frigid water when Officer Reischl joined Officer Wilson in the fight to save the driver.
"Prior to this I was in the Navy as a helicopter rescue swimmer, so I was lucky enough to have some training in it,” explains Officer Reischl.
Officer Reischl says he was able to reach the driver and cut him out of his seatbelt.
Both officers say it was a group effort.
"I mean we couldn't have done it without everybody that was on scene," says Officer Wilson.
Because of their life-saving efforts, they just received the Carnegie Medal. It's North America’s highest honor for civilian heroism given by the Carnegie Hero Fund.
"It was, I guess just total shock. I couldn't really believe that this was something we were being recognized for."
The officers are humbled by this honor and want to thank everyone involved.
"It's a community we all live in, how can we not try to help one another," Officer Reischl explains.
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