Middle School Boys Help With River Rescue

FARMINGTON (AP) - Farmington police are crediting two middle school boys with helping an officer rescue a man from a local river.

John Gray and Matthew McGee were riding their bikes on a path along the Vermillion River last week when they saw the man who seemed disoriented. They called 911 and Sgt. Lee Hollatz was first to arrive. The boys shouted that the man had since gone under water.

Hollatz gave his radio to the boys, took off his gear and jumped in. He told the boys to find a big stick in case he needed help getting out of the river. Hollatz found the man and pulled him to shore.  First responders arrived and took the man to the hospital, but he died a few days later.

Hollatz says the boys were his partners that day and his backup.