Officer dives underwater to save man’s life

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    MT. MORRIS TOWNSHIP, MI (WJRT) — Mt. Morris City Police Officer Kevin Mihailoff pulled up around noon Tuesday to an upsetting scene.

A car ran off Stanley Road, landing upside down in the Brent Run Creek, about a 15 foot drop.

“The only part of the vehicle that’s probably visible on up was from about where the door frame sits to the bottom of the car,” He explained. “So, all of the windows and everything were fully submerged in the water.”

All that’s on the Mt. Morris City Officer’s mind was getting whoever is in the vehicle out to safety.

“When I jumped into the water, I gave my gun belt to my police chief and other police officers on the bank here,” Mihailoff explained.

And then, he jumped in to help the Mt. Morris Township Police Officer already in the water. The Officer had broken a window, working to get the driver out.

With the clock ticking on how long he had been underwater, Mihailoff jumped into action.

“I went under the water, through the window that was broken out and into the vehicle, grabbed the driver and was able to pull him back out at that time,” he explained.

“Didn’t even think about himself, just went in and got the victim out and piece of cake, you know,” Mt. Morris City Chief, Keith Becker said.

He watched it all and couldn’t be more proud.

“I’ve been in this field for 28 years. I’ve never seen a rescue like that. I’ve been on a few, but that was, that was very heroic,” Becker said.

“It’s what we do. It’s what we’re trained to do, whether you’re a doctor, you know, a nursing staff, paramedic, ambulance person, firefighter, it’s what we do,” Mihailoff said.

He’s spent his whole career with the City, joining the department 12 years ago.

Thinking back to what happened in a matter of seconds Tuesday afternoon, he’s still in shock.

“A little bit, as far as how steep everything is and we don’t what caused the male to – the male driver to come over here and hit the guardrail and go in,” he explained. “We’re all thankful and lucky that everybody is not injured seriously and everybody’s out walking around today.”

The Officer also credits the multiple other departments who showed up to help. He hasn’t spoken to the man he saved yet; but he said, grateful he still has that opportunity.

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