Rescue robot helps save struggling Lake Michigan swimmers

September 18, 2024

Photo from company website

LUDINGTON — Emergency personnel used a newly acquired rescue robot (EMILY device) to help save a 72-year-old man who was struggling in Lake Michigan, along with a 10-year-old boy who had drifted away on a raft Friday afternoon.

An EMILY device is an Emergency, Integrated, Lifesaving Lanyard, which is a high-tech piece of equipment designed to swiftly reach individuals in water emergencies and bring them to safety — a rescue robot. The device was recently donated to Ludington Police Department. See related story here

“On Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, at 4:34 p.m., Ludington Police Department, Ludington Fire Department, and the Mason County Sheriff’s Office responded to a water emergency at Stearns Park,” states a press release from LPD Cpt. Michael Haveman. “A 10-year-old boy was reported drifting away on a raft, unable to navigate back to shore. A 72-year-old man entered the water with a life ring in an attempt to assist the child in getting back to shore. Responding officers deployed the EMILY device to assist the boy, but quickly redirected it to help the struggling swimmer. The Mason County Sheriff Marine Unit arrived on the scene, successfully rescuing the elderly man and then retrieving the child from the raft. Both were brought to safety at the Loomis Street boat launch.”

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