Teens Save Drowning Man in Manitouwadge Lake
Local heroes Melodie Mallais (left) and Mercedes Hunter (right) missing from photo is Anna-Marie Gillman. Photo OntarioNewsNorth.com
MANITOUWADGE, ON– The evening of Tuesday, July 31st, Mercedes Hunter, Anna Marie Gillman, Melodie Mallais and fourth friend were on their way to the dock at Prospectors’ Park where they had planned to go swimming when they noticed a man struggling to stay above water and calling for help approximately 1/2 way between the Lion’s Beach and the EDC Dock at Prospector Park. OntarioNewsNorth.com spoke with 2 of the girls, Mercedes Hunter and Melodie Mallais about how they had come to realize the victim, which police identified as 22 yr old Mitchell Sullivan, was in distressed and how they were able to save him.
Having noticed the struggling swimmer, they asked another man who was walking his dog in the park, if what they were seeing was genuine or just some kind of hoax “We weren’t sure if he was joking” said Melodie Mallais adding that “We hadn’t heard or noticed him until we had come down from the road and were in the park”. Though the bystander also seemed unsure of the validity of the situation, it took the 3 of the young women, Gillman, Hunter and Mallais, only a few short moments after reaching the dock to decide they would swim out and help.
Anna Marie, Mercedes and Melody swam out as fast as they could, all three having significant swimming skills they made short work of reaching the location where the victim was still struggling “His head was above the water but his ears were submerged” explained the girls when describing their approach of the victim. “Everything I had been taught in swimming lessons about how to approach someone struggling in the water, what to say and do came back to me instantly” said Mercedes Hunter who has her Bronze Cross Certification from the Canadian Lifesaving Society.
The girls were appropriately cautious as they neared him, not knowing the victim personally and having no way to be certain that he didn’t mean them any harm. Concern once again overuled caution as it became clear they would have to assist the man to return to shore because he was too tired to swim on his own. “We asked him to turn onto his back and at first he said no, I think he was in shock” explained Hunter “Anna Marie [Gillman] and I, were treading water on either side of him and put our arms through his to assist by pulling him as we swam; we encouraged him to keep kicking and when he would stop we could really feel his weight and it would become much more difficult to pull him.”
Melodie Mallais continued to swim alongside verbally assisting, as her two friends supported and pulled the victim while he kicked as much as he was able. Mallais and Hunter estimated that from the time they entered the water to when they reached shore where they verbally encouraged the victim as he crawled out, the rescue had taken approximately 30 minutes. “It went by really fast” added Mallais who concurred when Hunter described the incident as ‘surreal’. Constable Roland Smith, who had received the call from dispatch after a resident of Huron Walk heard the cries for help and called the police, was on the scene as Sullivan exited the water. The girls described that once out of the water Sullivan had dropped his head into his hands, “seeming to stay in that position for a while”.
Officer David Shaw, Media Liason for the Marathon/Manitouwadge Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police told OntarioNewsNorth.com that Sullivan had sustained no injuries nor had he required medical attention. Officer Shaw shared how it was the victim had found himself in such a precarious situation “The male had done this swim several times and unfortunately this time became fatigued”. Officer Shaw emphasized the need for people of any age or swimming ability to always swim with a buddy and advise others of where you are going swimming.
“It’s almost like it never happened, one evening your saving a person’s life and the next morning you wake up and everything just goes on like usual” said Hunter who had almost not gone to the dock that evening. Her mother told OntarioNewsNorth.com that Mercedes had been called and persuaded to go swimming by Anna Marie Gillman. “Mercedes just wasn’t in the mood, but then told me Anna Marie had talked her into it” explained Nancy Hunter. Lucky for Mitchell Sullivan that the three girls had decided it was the right night for a swim! Hunter’s Mother, visibly proud of her daughter’s heroism said she had not been surprised to learn how quick the three teens helped “I can’t say I’m surprised the girls chose to help when they saw the man drowning – all 3 of them are kind, caring young women and I wouldn’t expect any other reaction from them in a situation like that.”
After speaking with Mallais and Hunter I mentioned to the latter girl’s mother how humble they seemed in regards to having saved a man’s life and she shared with me that the night following the incident, Mercedes, her sister and parents had been invited to a family gathering for her cousin’s birthday. “Before going to the party Mercedes had asked us [her father, sister and I] not to bring up the lifesaving incident at her cousin’s birthday party because she didn’t want to ‘steal the spotlight’ from the birthday girl.” explained Nancy Hunter.
Congratulations! Anna-Marie Gillman, Mercedes Hunter and Melodie Mallais on your incredible heroism. Thanks to your quick-thinking and selflessness this is story is a celebratory one and not a tragic police report about a drown victim.
PLEASE NOTE: The public is also reminded that swimming in Manitouwadge Lake is done at your own risk. There are all type of watercraft which use the lake (including at times planes taking off or landing) and swimming outside the beach areas (from the Lions’ Beach to Prospector Park Beach or the EDC Dock for example) carries added risk not only of fatigue or cramping but also the potential for collisions by watercraft that might not see a person in the water, until it is too late.
