Man rescues intoxicated Sand Creek swimmer
<p>Good Samaritans, Sandpoint firefighters and Bonner EMS personnel carry an incapacitated male up the eastern bank of Sand Creek at Bridge Street after he was found floating face-down in the water. The unidentified shirtless man at the top of the frame is credited with saving the swimmer’s life. (Photo by KEITH KINNAIRD)</p>
SANDPOINT — A Good Samaritan is being credited with saving the life of an intoxicated man who tried to swim across Sand Creek on Friday evening.
Sandpoint police officers, firefighters and Bonner County EMS personnel were summoned to the east end of Bridge Street after receiving a report of a possible drowning at 7:18 p.m.
Initial reports indicated that two intoxicated male adults were on the boardwalk on the west side of the creek and decided two swim to the east bank. One man was reportedly so drunk he didn’t even make it into the water.
The other man began swimming across but ran into trouble midway across the creek.
“People saw him basically floating face-down in the water. A bystander jumped in the water from the east end, swam out to him, grabbed him and swam him back to shore,” said Sandpoint Fire Capt. Kevin Amorebieta.
The identity of the rescuer was not immediately available late Friday.
Amorebieta said the rescuer likely saved the man’s life.
“We’re rescue swimmers. We take the classes and I know how difficult it is to swim out to someone, grab them and swim them back to shore — not an easy task,” said Amorebieta.