Pasadena Duck Hunter Rescued From Icy Patapsco River: Police

PASADENA, MD — A Pasadena man was rescued Thursday morning from the ice-clogged Patapsco River as he clung to his overturned kayak, according to Maryland Natural Resources Police. Randall Heath, 46, fell from his boat while duck hunting about a quarter-mile offshore. His life jacket did not inflate and he could not get back inside the kayak, authorities said on Facebook.

An officer patrolling nearby heard the 911 call for help and launched a patrol boat from Stoney Creek at about 10:45 a.m. Racing at top speed while navigating through the ice floes, some of which were six inches thick, the officer reached the scene in 15 minutes, the department said.

“I didn’t see anything. It was a field of ice,” Officer Antonio Colvin said. For 10 minutes, he searched the area until a firefighter on shore guided him by phone to Heath.

Colvin came alongside the nearly submerged kayak, where Heath was trying desperately to stay afloat. The officer maneuvered the victim to the stern of the patrol boat and tied a rope to his belt to keep him from sinking. From there, he wrestled Heath aboard.

"It was amazingly difficult to get him in," Colvin said. "Luckily, the ice quickly reformed around my hull and gave me a nice, steady, level playing field to get him in."

Meanwhile, Anne Arundel County firefighters in survival suits launched a dinghy and began rowing to the scene. Colvin picked them up and they began reviving Heath, who was shivering uncontrollably and unable to speak. The patrol boat made its way through the ice to the marina near Celebrations on the Bay, where emergency medical technicians were waiting.

Heath was taken to Baltimore-Washington Medical Center for evaluation and treatment of hypothermia and a broken hand.

A resident praised Colvin's response on the department's Facebook page. "You are to be commended for your quick decisive actions. The fact that you monitored the emergency call, knew where the nearest patrol boat was located and responded by yourself putting the rescue of a civilian above your own safety speaks volumes of your and the NRP's professionalism," posted Ricky Morris.

Photo courtesy of Maryland Natural Resources Police