Friends, strangers came together to save man found in Lake Clearwater despite tragic end
The quick actions of two Indianapolis boaters are being commended by the Indianapolis Fire Department after friends and strangers came together trying to save the life of a man found unconscious in the water at a northside lake Monday afternoon.
Despite the efforts of boaters, bystanders and emergency responders at the scene, the Marion County Coroner's Office confirmed Tuesday that Frank Miller, 78, died after being pulled from Lake Clearwater.
"Our thoughts are with all those affected by the events that happened (Monday) and the loss for his family and friends," said Rita Reith, IFD Battalion Chief in a statement to media.
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Kevin Jones, IFD Special Operations Chief, praised Kimberly Bogle, 30, and Riley Quillen, 29, after the pair spotted a flotation device near an unoccupied boat in the lake and went to investigate. Navigating their vessel closer, they saw Miller beneath the water's surface.
Bogle said she didn't hesitate. Grabbing a boat noodle, she dove into the lake.
"My best friend and I didn't have the strength to pull him onto the boat ourselves so I immediately just jumped in," Bogle said. Grabbing a hold of Miller, she urged Quillen to return to shore where her in-laws lived nearby and call for help.
Worry tugged at Quillen, who said he didn't want to leave Bogle behind but raced back to dial 911. Bogle said she positioned Miller on her floatation device and swam roughly 75-100 yards toward a boat dock while yelling for help.
"I was screaming, 'Help, help! Someone help!' over and over again until I got to the dock," Bogle said. "I've never been in that situation before so I was scared, but I knew I had to focus, to swim as hard as I could."
At about 4:45 p.m., the IFD Dive Rescue Team was dispatched to the 8200 block of Clearwater Point after multiple calls to 911 reported an unconscious man in the water, according to a news release.
Six minutes later, IFD Engine 6 arrived on scene to find Miller on the dock receiving CPR from Bogle and the mother of Bogle's fiancé, Roseina Brabham, 68. Bystanders who also assisted pulling Miller from the lake included Geoff Brabham, 72, as well as Jerry Roehling, 55, a UPS driver who happened to be in the area and heard the commotion.
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Emergency responders were able to regain Miller's pulse and circulation by 5:26 p.m., according to a news release. Officials do not know how long he remained unconscious in the water. Miller was rushed to Community Heart Hospital North Campus where he was later declared deceased.
"We applaud (Bogle) for her efforts. Everybody there was fantastic," Jones said, adding that people should exercise caution nonetheless before performing any rescue.
"Be mindful of your abilities before you put yourself in a dangerous situation," he said. "(Bogle) assessed the risk and knew her abilities and tried to make a difference. She did a fantastic job, but we don't encourage anyone to just jump in the water because you might become a second victim."
Bogle, a local real estate agent, said once the adrenaline wore off her body felt tired and sore.
"It was all about trying to get help," Quillen said. "There wasn't really time to think or freak out or anything like that. Kim and her ability to think in that situation — it was really impressive. It makes me really proud to have a friend like that."
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John Tufts covers evening breaking and trending news for the Indianapolis Star. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com. Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jake_Allen19.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Friends, strangers came together trying to save man found in lake
