How a kayaker and Kent first responders saved a toddler from fast-moving Cuyahoga River
Darren Bade and his kayak were on the shore of the fast-moving Cuyahoga River in the vicinity of Riveredge Park on April 24 when he heard a woman screaming for help.
The woman's 2-year-old daughter had fallen into the water, and she leapt in to save the child. She was able to get hold of her daughter, hanging on until the two were swept into shallower water.
Speaking during a recognition ceremony at Kent City Council Wednesday, Fire Chief Bill Myers said Bade got his kayak back in the river and paddled over to the woman and her toddler where he found the mother performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on the child in the shallow, but quickly moving water.
To the rescue: Firefighters practice swift water saves in Cuyahoga River in Kent
"Recognizing the danger of the swift water," Myers said, "Mr. Bade was able to move them to the island just beyond the falls."
Police officers Matthew Moore and Samantha McNulty shed their equipment and jumped into the river, swimming over to the island.
A call was made, and two rescue swimmers, firefighters Tyler Simpkins and Matthew Bright, made their way to the island as quickly as possible. In a fortuitous coincidence, it had been about two weeks since the two firefighters had undergone a water rescue class for fast moving water,
Simpkins and Bright took over medical care for the child after evaluating her condition.
"When they found that the child was showing signs of aspirating a lot of water, and was semi-responsive, an expedient removal was necessary," said.
The woman and her child were safely rescued off the island and back onto dry land where a waiting ambulance whisked them to the hospital.
Dade and the city's first responders were recognized during council's meeting although many Myers wanted to acknowledge could not attend, including Capt. Dave Moore and firefighters Paul Bevere and Caleb Schjeldahl.
When more help was needed, a number of firefighters came in from home as support even though they had worked the previous day's shift. Lt. Shawn Baynes and firefighters Brock Murphy and James Taylor arrived to shore up the rescue effort.
Police Chief Nicholas Shearer also had kind words for the response of his officers.
"It goes without saying that [McNulty] taking her gear off, jumping in that river, knowing the danger that it presented to her to get to that island to help out — putting others lives before hers — is obviously a heroic action," Shearer said.
Myers commended Bade for his quick thinking.
"It certainly could have been a different set of circumstances had he not been there," Myers said. "We're certainly grateful to him and what he did."
Contact reporter Derek Kreider at dkreider@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Emergency personnel aids local man in rescue of two-year-old
