Police body cam captures water rescue of man near Mississippi
Updated: 8:20 p.m. | Posted: 4:43 p.m.
Standing in the pouring rain on slippery rocks, two Minneapolis police officers and a paramedic pulled a man to safety Wednesday night from a storm sewer that drains into the Mississippi River.
The trio saved the man's life, said Sgt. Catherine Michal.
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"These officers here risked their lives, as well as the paramedic, to bring this gentleman to safety."
Officers Molly Trupe and Craig Brown, and paramedic Chad Durand responded to the call just before 9 p.m. on the west side of the river below the Interstate 35W bridge.
The unidentified rescued man and his friend told police they went down by the river before rain started. Then it started pouring.
Brown's body camera was apparently swept away in the water, but Trupe's stayed intact.
The tape shows emergency responders trying to get a rope to the man. But they couldn't reach him that way. They opted to pull on a rope the man was already holding. Trupe found the other end by walking along a ledge, her partner said later. Brown held Trupe by her belt as she pulled the man to safety.
"We've been working together for a while, he's got my back," Trupe said.
Michal said the incident is a reminder to stay home during heavy rainstorms, adding that Minneapolis police responded to many calls relating to the weather Wednesday night.