Illinois man recovering after near drowning at Wappapello Lake

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- An Illinois man is recovering at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center today after nearly drowning on Wappapello Lake last weekend.

Joseph Holzum's wife, Mary, credits the quick actions of strangers and a life jacket with saving her husband's life.

The Holzums, of Granite City, Ill., were fishing from a Ranger Bass Boat around 3 p.m. Friday on Milan Creek near Williamsville when the incident occurred, according to the Missouri State Water Patrol.

Holzum, 70, stood up to retrieve a fish, passed out and fell overboard into the water, said Dave Nelson, water patrol patrolman and public information officer for Southeast Missouri.

He was unresponsive, but Mary, 71, managed to grab hold of her husband's life jacket and get his head out of the water, Nelson continued.

Gerald Pleasant, of Campbell, Mo., and his grandson, Phillip Sage, of Malden, Mo., were at a nearby marina and responded to help the Holzums.

"Mr. Sage overheard some people saying they needed to go out there and told his grandfather they could get there more quickly," Nelson said.

Sage dived into the water when the men reached the Holzums. He helped get Holzum into a position where Pleasant could pull him into the couple's boat, Nelson explained.

"Mrs. Holzum truly believes if Mr. Holzum was not wearing his life jacket, he would have drowned," Nelson said. "And she said those men saved his life, because she wasn't sure how much longer she could hold onto him."

Dave, Nancy and Chris Bowman from Chaonia Landing arrived then and drove the Holzums' boat back to the landing, according to reports.

"Mrs. Holzum saved Mr. Holzum's life because she was able to get his head out of the water, but Mr. Pleasant and Mr. Sage ... played a vital role in saving him," Nelson said. "There is no way Mrs. Holzum could have gotten him out of the water."

Holzum was taken by ambulance to the hospital, where his condition has improved, Nelson said.

"Life jackets are the most important piece of safety equipment on a boat," he continued. "Even an excellent swimmer can pass out or hit their head and be knocked unconscious. The probability of drowning is much higher (without a life jacket)."