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Monday afternoon, the snow was still coming down in southeast Michigan, making the roads slick and visibility. For one driver, those slick conditions led to him sliding off a Wixom road and into a pond.
The 60-year-old Novi man was on his way home when he slid off the road and sunk his pickup truck in an icy retention pond Monday afternoon on Oak Creek Drive. Someone called 911 and just moments later, the fire chief himself was on scene.
Wixom Fire Chief Jeff Roberts and Lieutenant Jason Breitmeyer arrived just moments after that 911 call. The man was had just hit the freezing water and was already out of the truck when the arrived.
"The gentleman was out of the vehicle and sitting on the cab which was the only part of vehicle still above water," Lt. Breitmeyer said.
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Breitmeyer says when they first arrived, the man had escaped through the truck's window. The problem was he was still in the water. It was 7 feet deep and a few feet from safe land.
Breitmeyer grabbed an extension cord to throw out to him and was worried he would become hypothermic. That's when Chief Roberts climbed into a survival suit.
"As cold as it is today, you don't want long-term exposure. Hypothermia happens fast in water, especially with wet clothes," Lt. Breitmeyer said.
They pulled the man up the ladder and to shore with police and an ambulance ready. The man was quite shaken up and then warmed and sent to the hospital. But first, he had to thank his heroes.
"He was so cold and so tired and very thankful obviously," Lt. Breitmeyer said.
Wixom police and fire are asking if any witnesses were able to shoot a cell phone video of that rescue to please send it to them at rmoore@wixomgov.org. They would like to use it for training purposes.