Dorion Ozykowski helps save Baudette man's life

By Ken Johnston
Editor

As fate would have it Dorion Ozykowski of Rainy River was in the right place at the right time to help save a man’s life.
Last Tuesday he was coming across the Spooner Bridge (East Baudette) when he noticed a friend of his, Anne Patten, down by the VFW club. He wheeled in there to talk to her.
After chatting for a bit Anne suddenly looked up and started running for the shoreline. A local man was fishing on the shore when his hook became snagged. There was a pontoon boat moored there and he thought if he stepped onto the front of it he might be able to get it out. However, the front of the boat was not tied up and it moved. The man fell in the water.
Dorion followed Patten to the water where the man was struggling. “He could not swim and apparently has muscle control problems,” said Ozykowski. That coupled with the fact that the man was heavy-set, made for a struggle to save him.
“Anne, myself and another bystander managed to get him half out of the water, then we all rested and then finally we pulled him out completely,” said Ozykowski. “It took every bit of strength to hoist him out.”
As in any shocking experience the man did not immediately talk about how close he was to drowning but was worried about his brand new fishing rod which was at the bottom of the Baudette Bay. However, another angler cast across his line and pulled it up.
“Once he caught his breath and came to his senses he joked with me a bit and expressed his gratitude,” said Ozykowski.
Ozykowski was not sure of the man’s name or the other bystander’s name. “I was just glad I could help.”