USPS mail boat saves man from Detroit River in late night rescue

DETROIT (FOX 2) - The J.W. Westcott II is the mailboat on the Detroit River - boasting "We deliver for you."  It should also say -  in more ways than one.

Deckhand JC Sharp was on board the J.W. Westcott II - searching for a man in the river Monday night after hearing an emergency broadcast over the marine radio.

"Captain Neil (Schultheiss) was in there piloting - I was up here on the front deck -  I just kept scanning left to right," Sharp said. "We headed upriver, and right around 11 p.m. we saw a gentleman floating down the river - he was attempting to swim across."

From Windsor to Detroit - someone on the Canadian side had spotted him and thrown him a flotation device.

"This gentleman had on blue jeans and a sweater jacket or a hoodie. He was sitting on a life ring - a circle life ring, and he was floating in that," Sharp said.

It was so dark - he was barely visible. Cold and disoriented - he needed help.

"We were able to use this shepherd's hook - and we could reach it down into the water - we were able to pull him in to the vessel," Sharp said. "It was very difficult to pull him in to the vessel. We just started with his arms - worked our way to his armpits and eventually I was able to grab him by his waistband and pull him over the edge fully."

Sharp says they needed to move fast.

"We had a large freighter coming up right behind him and if he was struck by that vehicle it would have been very dangerous," he said.

The Detroit Fireboat was right behind them and able to get the man to an ambulance. He claimed to be an american citizen -  it's not clear why he was in the river.

The J.W. Westcott is the only floating US Post Office in the world. They have their own zip code and have been around for 150 years - this is far from its first rescue.

"This is our 150th season on the Detroit River and there's accounts of J.W. Westcott in the late 1800s rescuing people in his rowboat," said Capt. Schultheiss.

Whether it's a painter falling from the bridge - or someone falling in the water, the Westcott crew is there - and they still deliver the mail.

"It is a really good feeling to be able to help somebody like that," he said.

Related: Boat captain that saved worker who fell from Ambassador Bridge into Detroit River details his rescue

"It makes me very happy - I'm extremely proud," Sharp said. "My dad is the captain at the fire boat next door, and I know it'd make him proud as well.

"I think we really saved that gentleman's life today."

Want to learn more or go out with the crew? CLICK HERE for the link.