Mother’s Day rescue: Off-duty Michigan firefighter jumps into canal to pluck struggling woman from ice-cold water

A Michigan firefighter is being hailed a hero for jumping into a canal to help a woman to safety as she struggled in the ice-cold water.

“Today in Clay Township, a woman fell in the water, without any hesitation our very own Washington Township Fire Department Justin Hrynyk jumped in the freezing water to save her,” Washington Township Supervisor Sebastian Sam Previti posted on Facebook. “He was there celebrating Mother’s Day Brunch when this happened and immediately responded to save this woman’s life.”

Hrynyk was off-duty at the time. His actions did not surprise Assistant Fire Chief Robert Schmelzer.

“He’s a busy guy, whether on-duty or off-duty,” Schmelzer told the Macomb Daily on Monday, adding that it fit with the moral character of the department’s firefighters.

The woman may have entered the water voluntarily rather than falling in, the Macomb Daily reported, citing witness accounts on social media. Nonetheless, Hrynyk jumped in, pulling her over toward a boater nearby, who helped him haul her from the water, the newspaper reported.