Alyssa DeWitt, a five-month pregnant Michigan woman, said she’s glad she was where she needed to be at the right time to save three drowning children.
DeWitt was playing on the beach with her children when she saw several arms flailing in the water near the First Street Beach Pier in Lake Michigan on Tuesday (May 25), according to UpNorthLive. She noticed the turbulence was pulling several children who had fallen into the water deeper into the lake.
Realizing what was happening, DeWitt started running down the pier to see if she could help. She called 911 and shouted for emergency police help, but then she quickly realized she couldn’t wait much longer.
In a TV interview with WPBN, DeWitt said she immediately put her cell phone on the ground when the 911 line was not disconnected and laid on the edge of the dock, reaching her hands out to the children, but it was difficult to get them to swim out on their own.
“Every time I got them up a little bit, a wave would just smash them down.” DeWitt said.
“That part (of the scenario) I’ll never forget. This girl looked at me and said, ‘I’m going to die.'” Every time I think of that, I cry,” DeWitt said, “and I say, ‘I promise you. I’m not going to let you die here. I’m going to get you out of this water.'”
DeWitt dragged all three children who had fallen into the water underwater to the safety of the dock wall (there are piles of rocks at the base of the wall). All three children were under the age of 15.
“I pulled each of them to the wall of that dock. I don’t know how I did it, but I did it.” DeWitt said.
Shortly thereafter, police arrived and picked up the children from there.
DeWitt went to the hospital to get checked out. Both she and the babies were in good health.
Manistee City, Michigan, Police Chief Josh Glass said DeWitt’s actions prevented the tragedy from happening and called her a “hero.
“Fortunately, all parties suffered only minor injuries, but without the heroic actions of this young woman, the outcome could have easily been different,” Glass said.
“What is particularly impressive (to me), as the father of young children, is the way this lady did not hesitate to call and act. I think it’s obvious what would have happened if she hadn’t been there (to rescue).”
Recent Comments