DETROIT (WWJ) - The family who saw a Canadian steel worker plummet off the Ambassador Bridge and the boat crew that rescued him from the Detroit River over the summer will be recognized by the U.S. Coast Guard on Friday.
The USCG said Captain Sam Buchanan, crew member Albert Holland and family members Bernita Flowers, Terri George and Tionne George will receive the Captain David P. Dobbins Award for excellence in search and rescue for for their heroic efforts on July 12, 2023.
Last summer, the Georges and Flowers saw a worker fall over 140 feet from the Ambassador Bridge into the Detroit River. The family kept an eye on where the man was in the water and rushed to a nearby boat, the J.W. Westcott II operated by Buchanan and Holland, and notified them of the incident.
According to the Coast Guard, the crew immediately responded to where the worker had fallen and pulled him to safety.
The victim, identified as Canadian steel worker Spencer Baker, sustained broken bones from his fall. He spoke with WDIV stating how thankful he was for the crew and the family that saved his life.
“If those people weren’t there, I’d probably never get to see my 4-month-old daughter again or my beautiful fiancee,” Baker said. “I’m just so thankful and fortunate for those people that were there that helped me because it really saved my life.”
The USCG said not ten days later, on July 22, Buchanan and his crew once again came to the aid of someone in distress after the Westcott II members rescued a fisherman who had fallen over the shoreline retaining wall into the river.
"Maneuvering the boat into place, [Buchanan] retrieved the man who was clinging to shore to prevent being swept down river by the swift waters," the Coast Guard said.
The Captain David P. Dobbins Award is given out in recognition of outstanding actions accomplished while prosecuting search and rescue missions on the Great Lakes.
According to Coat Guard officials, Dobbins was appointed the first superintendent of the U.S. Lifesaving Service of the Great Lakes in 1876.
"He distinguished himself by performing and organizing numerous heroic rescues during his career," the USCG added. "In memory of his heritage, initiative and dedication, the award is presented to individuals who perform distinguished search and rescue acts on the Great Lakes."