First responders honored at Village of Michiana meeting for saving a life

Residents of the Village of Michiana gathered at their village council’s Friday, Sept. 9, meeting to do something that police commissioner Tim McCarthy said that they didn’t get to do too often.

The residents, McCarthy said, had gathered that day “to thank and reach out to our first responders, our policemen and firemen.”

It was the evening of Tuesday, Aug. 16. McCarthy was cruising around the village streets on his moped when he passed the pickleball courts.

There, he greeted a man, John Rowan, who was wearing a big smile on his face as he took pickleball equipment out of his car.

A pickup game had just begun when, suddenly, Rowan collapsed.

He was returning a serve when he fell backwards against the fence.

“He wasn’t sure if he had broken bones or sprained an ankle,” McCarthy said.

Fortunately, McCarthy said someone ran to the village hall to alert the police department.

Then, Patrick Myers from the Grand Beach/Michiana Police Department, who happened to be coming on shift, came and, after assessing the situation, “realized this was more than just someone pulling a muscle or breaking bones,” McCarthy said. He was able to retrieve an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) unit, which was in his squad car.

“It’s an amazing piece of equipment - it talks to you and works you through the whole process,” McCarthy said.

Myers immediately began administering aid.

People who were in the park were also assisting. McCarthy said one if not two doctors were present, with one administering CPR on Rowan and the other monitoring for a heartbeat.

“They were able to start to get a response from him,” McCarthy said.

Soon, Michael and Kris Wulf and Michael Chastain from the Michiana Shores Volunteer Fire Department had showed up on the scene and started administering oxygen to Rowan while Myers continued to work on compressions – trying to get Rowan stabilized before Medic One arrived. When the ambulance arrived, everyone worked together to get Rowan into the vehicle.

Later, it was revealed that Rowan has since passed away. Nonetheless, McCarthy gave credit to the heroic actions to keep him alive on that August day.

“Never take these people for granted – they are truly heroes who walk amongst us, but we don’t always get to see them,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy added that the village is now looking into buying an AED unit that heats and cools outside.

“If Patrick wasn’t here, they wouldn’t have had access to this - the building would’ve been locked,” McCarthy said, referring to the AE D inside of village hall.

The fire department may also come in and present to residents on how to use AED units and do other life-saving techniques, like the Heimlich maneuver.

“I think it would be wonderful for our residents to understand that and to help each other in times of need – like we just experienced,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy said he has firsthand experience with the first responders of Michiana Shores: Two years ago, they were on the scene when his father had a life-threatening event – stabilizing him and prepping for the ambulance to take him to the hospital.

“I didn’t really realize how close he was to being in dire jeopardy,” he said.

Also joining the ceremony was Ryan Layman, police chief for the villages of Grand Beach/Michiana; George Knoll, the villages’ lieutenant and Bob Sulkowski, who was representing the chief from Michiana Shores’ fire department.

Michiana Village Council President Joann Fisher said the Michiana Village charter of 1909 established the village’s police department. In 2018, the villages of Grand Beach and Michiana police departments merged.

“The residents of Michiana had grown accustomed to short response times when we need assistance…Michiana and Grand Beach have chosen to support a police department that’s familiar with our quirky streets,” she said, and added “and quirky residents.”

In 1978, the Village of Michiana signed a contract with the Michiana Shores Volunteer Fire Department to supplement the village’s fire services provided by New Buffalo Township.

“We felt the fire department in Michiana Shores was very familiar with the roads in Michiana and could respond quickly,” Fisher said, adding that it’s easy even for residents to get lost in the village.

BY FRANCESCA SAGALA

Police chief Ryan Layman,Michael Chastain, Chris Wulf, Joann Fisher officer Patrick Myers and Michael Wulf

There are indications a 19-year-old woman killed when hit by a train in LaPorte was possibly caught off guard by another train heading in the opposite direction.

The preliminary findings of the police investigation show Kaylie Pacione may have veered around the crossing gates Tuesday, Sept. 6, at Orchard Avenue and 2nd Street.

According to police, the conductor

BY STAN MADDUX and engineer on the eastbound Norfolk Southern train said the crossing arms were down, and the signals activated when the car ventured onto the tracks.

Police said a westbound train was stopped at that location when emergency responders first arrived at the scene.

Whether the oncoming trains were passing each other just before the collision was not specified in the police report of the crash. In general, some drivers while veering around crossing arms after a train passes have been surprised by another train they failed to see approaching from the opposite direction.

Police said the final outcome of the investigation hinges on a review of video footage of the crash taken by a video camera on the front of the train involved in the crash.

It might take a court order to obtain the images, police said.

According to police, the victim’s mother at about the time of the crash was contacted by her daughter’s employer that she hadn’t shown up for work.

Her mother didn’t know what happened until she was led to the crossing by her daughter’s GPS information.