Canadian rescued from icy waters of the Niagara

by Alice E. Gerard
Grand Island Dispatch, February 9, 2007

Fort Erie, Ont., resident Wayne Kingwell, 40, faces charges of illegal entry into the United States by the U.S. Border Patrol after being discovered early on Monday morning floating in a raft on the Niagara River near the intersection of East River and Winkler roads.

According to Border Patrol spokesman Mike Przybyl, Kingwell was taken to U.S. District Court in Buffalo on Wednesday afternoon on the immigration charges. Kingwell pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of illegal entry into the United States and was sentenced to time served, according to Christopher Paresi, special assistant U.S. attorney for the Buffalo office of the Department of Homeland Security.

Following an investigation, Przybyl reported, “Kingwell is being charged with immigration charges, as well as illegal entry into the United States.” He said Kingwell had informed the media he wanted to pay some bills in the United States. “Our concern is the violation of entry into the United States. We want to know what his motivation was and why he did it.”

GI Resident Spotted Rafter

Authorities first became aware of a raft in the icy water at about 7:15 a.m., when East River Road resident Bob Redfern, looking out from his back patio, noticed something unusual in the water. He got out his binoculars, which enabled him to see a boater frantically trying to break free from him. Redfern immediately called for emergency assistance.

Before long, personnel from the Grand Island Fire Company, the New York State Police, and the U.S. Border Patrol appeared on the scene. Grand Island Fire Company Assistant Chief Chris Soluri and New York State troopers Tim Roof and Bryan Pazderski were dispatched to rescue Kingwell from the icy water.

Life Saved

Przybyl said Border Patrol agents were on the scene to observe the incident. He credited rescuers with saving Kingwell’s life. “We do consider this a rescue. We don’t know what would have happened if he had stayed in the ice-choked river. I don’t think that he would have lasted long before hypothermia set in. He would have been in dire straits.”

Troopers, waiting at a boat dock, advised Kingwell to paddle toward shore ice, which he did. Once he was within reach, rescuers tied one end of a rope to a boat dock and threw the other end to Kingwell. He paddled close enough to grab the rope, and the rescuers started to pull him in. As he approached the boat dock, however, his raft slid out from underneath him. Kingwell, however, managed to maintain his grip on the rope. By using the rope, rescuers were able to get him out of the water.

“Luckily, the rescuers did not fall into the water as they were pulling Kingwell in,” said Trooper Rebecca Gibbons, spokeswoman for the State Police, adding that Kingwell was not immersed in the water for very long before he was pulled to safety.

Unusual Call

Gibbons said that this was an unusual call for the State Police. She said Kingwell told State Police that he first entered the river at 2 a.m. “The conditions were very cold and dangerous. It was not the time of year to go into the water, especially in a raft. It could be deadly to be in the water,” Gibbons said.

She described the danger as coming from “swift currents and frigid temperatures,” and added that, “Luckily, the man was brought to safety without any long-lasting injuries. It was miraculous.”

The situation was unique, Gibbons said, because the individual involved was in a raft and also because of the time of the year that the incident occurred. Generally, people who fall into the river at this time of year are involved in accidents with ice fishing, ice skating, or riding on snowmobiles, Gibbons explained.

Once Kingwell was out of the water, he was evaluated by Grand Island Fire Company medics for hypothermia and was then transported by Twin City Ambulance to Mount St. Mary’s Hospital and Health Center in Lewiston for additional medical attention.

Taken Into Custody

Kingwell, who apparently did not suffer any serious injuries as a result of his experience in the icy waters, was released from the hospital soon after. “The man is OK. He is fortunate because he was rescued,” Przybyl said.

Upon release from the hospital, the Canadian citizen was immediately taken into custody by Border Patrol agents.

Przybyl said that the Border Patrol has dealt with similar situations in the past. “This does happen in the winter. We do have people attempt this type of entry in very inclement weather.” He said assistance from Redfern was of great help, both to the Border Patrol and to the Kingwell. “Two things happened,” Przybyl said. “A person’s life was probably saved, and agents were able to detect and apprehend an individual who had crossed the border into the United States illegally.”

The Border Patrol seeks the help of citizens in accomplishing its mission of protecting the border, Przybyl explained. “An involved public is an important tool to our mission of securing our border. It’s part of our strategy to engage the public, to remind them that they are living on a border, and that they should notify border patrol if they see something suspicious.”

Grand Island Fire Company Public Information Officer Ray Pauley contributed to this report.