INDIANAPOLIS — Four people are being called heroes by the Indianapolis Fire Department after pulling an unconscious man from the water on Monday.
According to the department, the dive rescue team was dispatched to Lake Clearwater around 4:45 p.m. after multiple reports of an unconscious man in the water.
When they arrived, they learned that four people had already pulled the man from the water and started CPR.
The rescuers were identified as Kimberly Bogle, 30, Geoff Brabham, 72, Roseina Brabham, and UPS driver, Jerry Roehling, 55.
Bogle tells WRTV she was on the lake taking the dog for a swim with a friend when they noticed something floating in the water.
"We kept going to to see if anyone was on the dock looking for it and we saw a boat that didn't have anyone on it," Bogle said.
When they looked closer, they saw an unconscious man just beneath the surface of the water.
Bogle then grabbed a noodle from her boat and immediately jumped in the water, making contact with the man.
She yelled for her friend to drive the boat to Geoff and Roseina's nearby house, bring them back, and to call 911.
Bogle began swimming the man toward the floating dock, which was about 100 yards away. She continued yelling for help.
"I have no experience with water rescue or any kind of rescue for that matter so this was very foreign and pretty intense for me but I know how to swim so I know i could do that, so I jumped in and tried to help anyway I could," Bogle said.
By the time she reached the dock with the unconscious man, Geoff and Roseina arrived. They were met by the UPS driver, Jerry Roehling, who ran out of the house where he'd been delivering a package.
Roehling has been with UPS for 35 years.
"He's a gem," Bogle said of Roehling. "He's been in our neighborhood a long time. He deserves a lot of kudos because he also called 911."
The group worked together to pull the man up and out of the water and begin CPR.
When medics arrived they provided ALS to the man. He was then transported to the hospital.
"You know you just help as much as you can," Geoff Brabham said. "At times you feel a little helpless but you just do the best you can and contact the authorities and hope they get there as fast as they can."
Geoff Brabham raced in 10 Indianapolis 500s between 1981 and 1993.
According to IFD, it is unclear at this time how long the man was in the water and whether he survived the heroic efforts giving him the best chance at survival.
Police on the scene later that the man, identified as 78-year-old Frank Miller was alone on the lake.
"We just hope the best for his family, we care so much about all the neighbors in this community and everyone looks out for each other here," said Bogle.
On Tuesday, the Marion County Coroner's Office confirmed the passing of Miller. An autopsy result is pending.
