Wheelchair-bound man saved after fall into river

RACINE, Wis. -- Three teen-agers rescued a man who fell into a rushing river while strapped into his electric wheelchair.

Pedro Cruz, 50, and Karin Mendez-Cruz were taking their dogs for a walk at Island Park when Cruz tried to turn his electric wheelchair around Monday. It tipped over, pulling him down the bank into the Root River.

Michael Rieckhoff, 19, Tyler Gustin, 19, and William Paulson, 18, were working at a park pavilion when they heard Mendez-Cruz scream.

"She started yelling, 'He's drowning! He's drowning!"' Rieckhoff said.

Cruz was able to hold on to the river bank for a while, but the weight of the chair pulled him down, Rieckhoff said.

The three teens ran over, leaped into the river and held his head above the water until they were able to get him out of the chair, Mendez-Cruz said.

Gustin said, "We had to unbuckle him from the chair to get him out. That chair was really heavy."

Cruz, who has been using the electric wheelchair for about a year because he's broken his back twice, was said the young men should be recognized.

"I'll never forget those kids," he said. "One of them held my head up. He said 'I'm getting tired,' but he didn't let go."