Boat rescue

Last Friday Bob Fischer, his son Richard Fischer, and Bob's grandson Nathan Vomund headed out for a fun-filled day of fishing. Little did they know their day would turn into a rescue effort.

About 2:30 p.m. the men heard someone talking on the Interstate 55 bridge. Soon after looking up they saw a young woman jump off that bridge in an apparent suicide attempt. The men paddled their boat to the woman in hopes of rescuing her.

When attempting to pull her out of the water the woman yelled saying she wanted to die. Richard Fischer tried to reason with her, saying life was never that bad. When the woman responded saying that no one cared for her, Bob Fischer told her they cared. They soon pulled her to safety on the bank of the Diversion Channel. By then the authorities had arrived and pulled her out of the boat.

The three generations of Fischer men should be commended for their heroic effort. As Richard Fischer told the woman, life is never so bad as to take one's life. Despite the difficulties we may face -- which we all face in some shape or form -- there's always a reason to live. God has created each of us for a purpose, and no matter how bad we think our life is there is always hope.

If you are personally struggling right now with suicidal thoughts or know of someone else who is, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.