Positivity: Coaches Honored for Saving a Life
Without their help, Tom Ackerman surely would have died:
Coaches Honored
By SHELLEY HANSON
Feb. 22WHEELING — Three Warwood Middle School wrestling coaches were honored Tuesday by city council for saving the life of a city Water Department employee.
On a cold Dec. 22 evening, coaches Ryan Jewell, Ron Jewell and Rich Lough were leaving the middle school a little later than usual because of a long practice.
While heading to their vehicles, they heard cries for help coming from the water treatment plant across the street. The cries were coming from Tom Ackerman, an employee at the plant, who had accidentally fallen into a holding tank while taking water samples.
‘‘As two of the men scaled the chain link fence that is (topped with) barbed wire, another ran for help at the fire station adjacent to the plant,’’ according to information provided by the city.
‘‘When they reached the holding tank, Rich Lough and Ron Jewell saw just the arm of Tom Ackerman above the chilling water. With a desperate grab, they were able to cling to Mr. Ackerman long enough to pull him, at first, out of the water so that he could breathe.’’
Upon Ryan Jewell’s return from the fire station, he helped his fellow coaches pull Ackerman out of the tank.
During Tuesday’s city council meeting, the coaches were given a proclamation honoring their heroic efforts to save Ackerman. City Manager Robert Herron thanked the men for their action on behalf of the city, council and himself.
‘‘He was in deep trouble. He was getting tired and in danger of drowning,’’ Herron said of Ackerman. ‘‘They got there just in the nick of time. … If I ever have to be rescued, I’d want three wrestling coaches to do it.’’
According to information from the city, Ackerman was showing signs of ‘‘early onset hypothermia,’’ and received blunt force trauma from the holding tank’s mechanical processing arm.
Herron said he believes Ackerman does not remember how long he was in the holding tank before being rescued.
