Man falls through ice in Monroe Co.; fire department worker driving by springs into action

An 81-year-old man was rescued Sunday after falling through the ice on a pond in Monroe County, thanks to a local fire department employee who happened to be driving nearby and took action, county officials said.

Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnough said a passerby noticed the elderly man in the pond at about 2:03 p.m. in Raisinville Township with only his head and shoulders above water and in "distress," struggling to stay afloat.

Authorities said Paul Motylinski, a member of the Dundee Township Fire Department, happened to be driving by North Custer Road, near Baldwin Road, when he observed a man who had fallen through the ice.

Motylinski then called his brothers who live nearby to help hin in the rescue. They used a boat and a line to pull the man from the water.

"The heroic actions of the rescuers are credited with ensuring a positive outcome to a life threatening situation," Goodnough said in a release.

The unidentified man was transported by Monroe Community Ambulance to ProMedica Monroe Regional Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition and was expected to make a full recovery.