From WZZM-TV’s Lambrini Lukidis:
Kelysse LaBelle is full of energy today. But when fireman Scott Campau rescued her from the bottom of Fisherman’s Landing in Muskegon last week, Kelysse was purple, her eyes were gray and lifeless.
“The stroller was actually sitting up-right on its wheels on the bottom of the lake and she was unconscious,” said Campau.
“She wasn’t breathing, no heart rate,” said Battalion Chief Ken Chudy who lead the team on the call. “She was lifeless when we pulled her out of the water,” said Fireman Kevin McMillan also assisted by firemen Chad Horn and Scott Hemmeslbach.
Kelysse’s two year old brother accidentally knocked the stroller off the dock.
“I could not get to her, couldn’t see anything, the water was murky, it was cold,” said father Adam LaBelle.
On his first try Scott Campau dove 12 feet and rescued Kelysse.
Tearful parents and a room full of relatives embraced with mutual gratitude.
“It was really rewarding to see them here and the joy in their eyes and you can really feel the gratitude that they have, and that’s the exciting part of this job and the rewarding part of this job is to have moments like this,” said Campau.
While the reunion is in honor of the heroes who saved her, Kelysse enjoyed the cake her family brought to the fire station, celebrating many more birthday’s to come.
Comments
Powered by Facebook Comments
Hats off to Kevin McMilla and the FFs who backed him up – as firefighters know – your back up really does make the difference.
Let me see if I have this right. Baby falls into 12 feet of murky water, someone calls 911, firefighters arrive within minutes and risk their lives to dive in and rescue the infant in cardiac arrest then sucessfully revive her? Did I miss anything? Hey to all the city council memmbers and mayors out there who say that closing stations and laying off firefighters will have no effect on public safety, READ this article. To all you conservative think tanks who think that firefighters all just sit around all day long and get paid to sleep and watch TV READ this article. To all you newpaper editorial writers who think that firefighters need to stop using the "people will die if you cut positions" theme then you should READ this article. Why? Because layoffs, staion closures, brown outs and budget cuts DO increase response times and WILL cost people's lives. So stop worrying about your own re-election and worry about how this story could have had a very different (not so happy) ending if it weren't for these firefighters.
great job to all involved in rescue!
To Steve in NJ – Amen Brother.
Couldn't have said it better myself, Steve! Bravo!
Conservatives? Brother, conservatives don't have a monopoly on stupid. Politicians of all stripes have cust public safety when it was expedient to do so.
Great job guys, whatasave!
Let's hope Kelysse grows up to be a mayor or a city council person someday. Way to make us proud our Muskegon brothers!
Great Job!! Very Glad you were there. Stay Safe!
Fantastic save gentlemen.
Steve in NJ has hit the nail right on the head, but the reality is the politicians just don't care. Quite honestly, most people don't care as well until they interact with us. My 12 year-old nephew asked one time how we got paid and why we weren't paid higher. I explained that we are paid via taxes and people don't want their taxes to go up to pay us (or hire more) more. He said that he didn't understand this because we were needed. The moral of the story is a 12 year old used simple logic to figure it out, why can't everyone else?
Heroes, true heroes!
great job fellow brothers-the save of just one life is priceless!!!
Absolutely Awesome! Well done Muskegon Fire!
How can anyone put a price tag on lfe. It should not matter what it costs or what it takes. ALL STATIONS NEED TO STAY OPEN. This is a perfect example of what could have otherwise been a tragic day for a family. My hat is off the the members of Muskegon FD
Amen, brother. Steve from NJ got it right. I'm a volunteer FF in a small town of Applegate, MI. We are lucky in some ways since me and one other member of our dept. are both on city council (I know in larger towns, this isn't allowed do to conflict of interest) so we make sure we never cut our fire dept.'s budget. I am trying to find a full time fire job, and due to politicians hacking and slashing dept.'s to no end, that has made it nearly impossible. It will end up costing people's lives and if that doesn't matter to them, then they need to be taken out of office as soon as possible. Great job to the boys up north for saving that little girl! You are the reason we are all viewed as heros. Thank you for everything you do. If your elected officials won't thank you, at least a brother will. Be careful out there and always make it home to your own family!
Kudos to the Muskegon Firefighters, a job very well done with the best of outcomes. You all exemplify what it is to be a firefighter. And what awesome teamwork involved as well.
Well done!