‘I feel good’: Man on jet ski rescues distressed swimmer in Lake Michigan

A dramatic rescue saved a woman from drowning in Lake Michigan at Bender Park in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, on Sunday. Multiple bystanders, including a man on a jet ski, jumped into action immediately.

Tony Mansour said he was enjoying a day at the beach with family and friends, and right when they were getting ready to head home, chaos unfolded.

“Some guy came running, like asking for a lifeguard. And then we asked, ‘Like, why?’ And he said, ‘Like, there’s someone drowning,'” Mansour said.

Mansour said he didn’t think twice. He grabbed his jet ski and got into the water.

“Usually I like going on the jet ski when it’s rough, so I already know how to deal with the waves,” Mansour said.

His friend, Murad Karim, also joined in the effort. Karim said he took off sprinting toward the break wall to try and get a visual on the person in need of help. The two men told 12 News the waves were relentless and nearly 4-5 feet high. Each wave, however, made the woman barely visible on the surface just beyond the break wall.

“Tony couldn’t see, and he went in the beginning, went far a little bit,” Karim said. “So I told everybody to try to point down together. Maybe it would help. Everybody from the shore, trying to just, like, yell out something to tell her to grab on, that she couldn’t even had no power, no physical strength.”

The joint effort and pointing did help. With Karim and multiple other bystanders guiding Mansour in the general direction of the woman, Mansour finally spotted her. Mansour said another bystander had thrown a life preserver toward the woman, but she wasn’t able to reach it.

“She couldn’t, like, recognize that there’s someone to help, so I yelled at her,” Mansour said. “She opened her eyes. I threw the life jacket.”

Mansour said eventually the woman was able to grab his life jacket and the preserver. From there, he said he stayed with her for nearly 15 minutes until help arrived.

“I tried just to keep her away from the rocks,” Mansour said.

Karim said the moment a rescue swimmer from a local fire department reached the two in the water was a huge moment of relief.

“The best moment to me, like, ‘Oh, thank God.’ Like, somebody who can get her out of there because he couldn’t even pull her,” Karim said.

Both men said the situation was terrifying, but they are glad they were there to help.

“I feel good,” Mansour said. “She’s safe and able to go through her life.”

The Oak Creek Fire Department said the woman was taken to the hospital for an evaluation.

Oak Creek fire said that people entering the water should be aware of the water conditions and mindful of their own swimming ability.

Lake Michigan waters are far different from inland lakes and swimming pools.

Karim said he hopes people will take the dangers of the water seriously and that more safety measures can be added to the beach area.