On June 30, 2019, at 1:23 p.m. the St. Charles Fire Department was dispatched to a reported river rescue north of the Fox River. By 1:24 p.m. Fire Units were on the scene.
St. Charles Fire Lt. David Chmelar, firefighter paramedics Michael Pyzyna, Chad Tinsley, and Brandon Paus were honored at the St. Charles City Council meeting on August 5, 2019, for their bravery rescuing two adults and one teenager who were in a boat with a failed motor.
The boat experienced engine trouble after a storm affected the area. The anchor line was not equipped to deal with their difficulties and witnesses on the shore called 911. Fire Fighters launched a rescue boat from Pottawatomie Park and arrived just as the boat approached the dam.
The victims were rescued; however the boat went over the dam and lay upside down north of the bridge. Wet and distressed, the three victims were transported to the dock behind the Police Department where they were attended to by paramedics. All three victims were wearing their personal floatation devices and had no physical injuries.
We thank the witnesses who promptly called 911 and the brave firefighters who sprang into action when they were needed the most.
