RACINE — Multiple people are being applauded for their efforts to rescue a 62-year-old man found face down in the water at a boat launch in downtown Racine.
The man was pulled from the water at Pershing Park Boat Launch on Tuesday morning and, on Thursday, remained in critical condition on life support, according to the Racine County Sheriff's Office.
Dave Goldsworthy, Darrell Deschler and Trad Schluechtermann were among those at the scene and worked together to get the man help.
Goldsworthy, who works near the launch, said he noticed the man walking into the water.
"I said, 'You okay?' He said, 'Yeah, I'm fine,'" Goldsworthy said.
But just minutes later, the situation changed.
"I came down here, and he's laying face down in the water," Goldsworthy said.
Goldsworthy said he immediately acted.
"The first thing I did was grab him and yank him up as high as I could, and all I did was holler," Goldsworthy said.
"That's when I noticed that Dave was grabbing a body out of the water. And I ran over here, and as I ran over here, Darrell was calling 9-1-1," Schluechtermann said.
Schluechtermann, and a fisherman named Steve then took turns performing CPR on the man until first responders arrived.
"I just feel like I did what anybody should or will do, you know?" Schluechtermann said.
Deschler, who made the 9-1-1 call, estimates first responders were at the boat launch within five minutes of his call.
He said the group quickly found their footing in the chaotic situation.
"I think everyone was trying to figure out what their role was," Deschler said.
Schluechtermann, who had been planning to launch a boat later in the day, said something prompted him to head to the launch earlier than planned.
"Something was inside of me that said, 'Let's just go do it now, instead of later.' And that was it. And I'm just really happy that we decided on that time to be here to have the opportunity to try to help this man out," Schluechtermann said.
It is unclear why the man entered the area, which is not intended for swimming, or what happened to him once he was in the water.
Goldsworthy, who was also present near the launch when a 12-year-old drowned in the area in August 2025, said Tuesday's experience had an impact on him.
"The whole scene did quite a number on me," Goldsworthy said.
Deschler said he hopes the response from the group serves as a message to others.
"Even if you don't understand how you can be helpful, try to see what you can do to be helpful," Deschler said.
The group is also recommending more people consider learning CPR.
"I am definitely going to get certified," Goldsworthy said.
Learning CPR and life-saving skills is easier than you might think.
For those interested in learning hands-only CPR, contact your local fire department. Many offer group classes or one-on-one training.
For more advanced life-saving techniques, classes lasting 3 to 4 hours are available at locations in downtown Milwaukee and Wauwatosa.
The American Red Cross also offers resources to help you learn how to save a life.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
