A Hero Among US
 

We have a hero in the club.

On Friday night 5-17-19 Jessica Hoffart took her coworker down the Grand River. (I couldn't make it)
About a 1/2 mile into the trip they found a guy laying on the river bank barely moving. They had some trouble with 911 and getting there location across to them.
But eventually the sent a boat down to rescue the gentleman as Jess couldn't paddle up stream with the strong current to help with there location.
After the rescue Jess and her co worker paddled about a mile down river to section were we can see the blue water slide from the river and a firefighter met them there and gave them a ride back to harpersfield.
From what they gathered the gentleman fell down the hill and spend Thursday night and all of Friday on the river bank with no cell phone or ID.
He is lucky Jessica and her co-work paddled Friday night.
Congrads to Jessica Hoffart!!!!

Man rescued from bank of Grand River
By WARREN DILLAWAY warren@starbeacon.com 12 hrs ago

HARPERSFIELD TOWNSHIP — Firefighters from Geneva and Harpersfield Township helped rescue a "disoriented" man from a remote area along the Grand River on Friday evening, said Harpersfield Fire Chief Everett Henry.

He said two kayakers noticed the man on the bank of the river about 6:20 p.m. and called for help. Firefighters used a Geneva Fire Department boat to traverse about a mile west from the Harpersfield Covered Bridge area.

Henry said the man, in his 30s, was then placed in the boat and brought back to the bridge area where an ambulance from Northwest Ambulance was waiting to transport him to UH Memorial Hospital of Geneva.

Henry said his condition was unclear.

Firefighters cleared the scene around 7:50 p.m.

Wow! How fortunate this guy was to be found. Great work Jessica and friend! Hope the man will recover.

"Kudos!" to Jess and her friend. This serves as just another reminder to be careful and vigilant during all of our outdoor adventures.

So glad you and your friend were there Jess! Good job! And it was a little chilly out on Friday night hope he's OK...

The real heroes were the Harpersfield and Geneva fireman and emts/paramedics who came quickly by boat to rescue the guy, get him back to the park to the waiting ambulance and then to the hospital. And the fireman who happened to live on the cliff above all this, who offered to pick us up at a better location down stream (by the waterslides) since we knew we wouldn't make it to Hidden Valley before dark after the couple hour delay. Our experience with 911 itself was not very good at all, but the rescue team was great.

I'm just glad our last minute decision to kayak Friday evening after work occurred since no one else was on the river that night to find him. We were just in the right place at the right time. I'm hoping the guy is doing well & that they or he figured out who he is so they could contact his family.