Restaurant staff aid in rescue of two men that fell into the frigid waters of the Detroit River

Locals save two men from river Local restaurant staff are being applauded after rescuing two men who fell into the river. CTV Windsor's Robert Lothian shares the story.

The assistance of staff at Armando’s Riverside Restaurant was key in the rescue of two men that fell in the freezing water of the Lakeview Park Marina over the weekend.

Windsor police say that shortly before 9:00 p.m. on Dec. 20, officers were called after a man fell into the water while standing too close to the marina wall. A second man jumped in to help him.

“It was freezing cold and it was wet and it was slippery,” said restaurant owner Mohamed Rashwan. “One of my drivers heard someone screaming for help. So he ran to me and he told me someone [is] in the water, someone is calling for help.”

Rashwan says that roughly a dozen staff members rushed to action, “When we get there, we found two guys in the water, holding onto the side of the wall, trying to climb up.”

They pulled the first person out of the water quickly afterward, before emergency services arrived on scene.

“We managed to get the first person out within maybe a minute and a half or two because his brother was pushing him up and trying to lift him up,” he said.

Attempts to pull the second man out were “emotional” as staff began to feel “helpless” after trying for more than seven minutes.

“I almost fell in the water too because I was slipping and sliding all over. It was a sheet of ice on the sidewalk,” Rashwan said.

According to Windsor police, officers quickly used life preservers to help the second man out of the frigid water with the assistance of bystanders.

“Right when we pulled that last person out, he was saying that he can't feel his legs,” Rashwan said.

Both men were taken to hospital by EMS with symptoms of hypothermia.

Windsor Fire Services praised the quick thinking of the Armando’s staff, “We lose our body heat four times faster in the water than we do in the cold air,” explained James Waffle, Windsor Fire Rescue Services Deputy Chief of Operations.

“[It's a] case of right place, right time for the people at Armando’s to help the two individuals that fell into the water,” Waffle said.

He says that the temperature of the Detroit River is averaging around 2 degrees Celsius, and that exposure to freezing water impairs cognitive function.

On Saturday, Rashwan said the two men’s father visited the restaurant to thank the staff.

“He said that one of the kids made it home, and the second person was in the hospital,” Rashwan said. “It felt good, I mean, you saved someone’s life.”

While this incident did not end in tragedy, things could have gone much differently, “I mean, bottom line is, I mean, two people went home safe, and we just need a security measure in place to prevent this from happening.”

The heroics have been lauded on social media by people inspired by the quick thinking of the employees.

As for staff at Armando’s Riverside location, Rashwan said many are bruised but upbeat after the incident and will have a few days off for the holidays before getting back to work.