Crime & Safety
Lakewood Firefighters Save Family of Four After Boat Capsizes
In a dramatic, two-hour rescue, firefighters bring family to safety after their boat capsized on Sunday.
Quick thinking by the helped save the lives of a family of four after their boat capsized in Lake Erie off of Lakewood’s shore on Sunday afternoon.
Lakewood Fire Chief Scott Gilman said the family was trapped along the break-wall near Maple Cliff Drive, after rough waters caused their 17-foot boat to overturn at around 3:30 p.m. Sunday.
“The waves were so big that the Coast Guard couldn’t get in there,” he said. “They’re boats were too big. We decided to go with ropes.”
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“There were some pretty hefty waves out there.”
Using pulleys and ropes, firefighters scaled 75 feet down the cliff near Kenneth Lane and hoisted each person to safety.
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The dramatic rescue took more than two hours.
“We brought them up one at a time, strapped to a firefighter,” Gilman said, adding that they were taken to for evaluation.
“Everyone is OK,” he said. “The crews did a fantastic job."
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