Triple Rescue At Spring Valley Lake In Kalamazoo

Water rescue teams helped save a young boy, a dog, and a bystander who tried to help them at a lake in Kalamazoo over the weekend.

WWMT says on Saturday afternoon, a bystander observed a boy trying to swim out to rescue his dog on Spring Valley Lake. After the boy started struggling in the water, the individual attempted to make a rescue.

When Kalamazoo police arrived the boy was about 100 yards out in the water. The bystander had also started struggling to return to shore and also needed to be rescued. Sgt. Jeff Deblecourt, a veteran police officer who is trained in water rescue, entered the lake and was able to support both the bystander and boy until additional help arrived. The two, along with the dog, were treated at the scene by emergency medical personnel and are all last reported in good condition.

The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety reminds swimmers to use extra caution when swimming in large bodies of water, to make sure you are not swimming alone, to remain close to shore, and to continuously evaluate fatigue while swimming in deeper waters.