On Sunday, June 19, 2022, Keweenaw County Sheriff’s Deputy Matthew Eberly is dispatched to Eagle Harbor, Michigan. There’s a report of someone in a canoe in Lake Superior, who’s having difficulty getting back into the harbor. A few moments later, a wave crashes over the canoe and sinks it. Now, the person in distress is in the frigid water.
Over the next 45 minutes, Deputy Eberly navigates strong waves, wind and cold rain, and even lightning ― but still can’t locate the subject. That’s when he starts thinking about calling off the search.
“You don’t want to turn a rescue into a body recovery, but…you gamble with your life and you look at the odds,” Eberly said. “And, the odds weren’t good that I was gonna find this subject.”
Just as he ponders turning his personal watercraft to shore, he thinks, “One more pass.” During that final lap, Eberly finally sees a face as white as chalk, floating in the water.
CREDITS:
Producer / Host: Dan Wanschura
Editor: Patrick Shea
Additional Editing: Ellie Katz
Music: Jonas Hipper, Holizna, pan, Maarten Schellekens, Nuisance
Feature Image: Lake Superior waves crash in Eagle Harbor, Michigan during a storm in October 2022. It was in this area where Keweenaw County Deputy pulled off a dramatic rescue of a 68 year-old man, caught in a storm. (Dan Wanschura / Points North)
