Ypsilanti fire fighters pulled a man out of a lake near the intersection of Forest and Rice streets in Ypsilanti this morning after he rolled under the guard rail, said Lt. Scott Maddison of the Ypsilanti Fire Department.
According to Maddison, a woman walking her dog around 7:30 a.m. saw the man "stagger and stumble" down Forest Street and then walk down the railroad trestle near the intersection. The woman called police after the man fell and rolled under the cables which act as a guard rail.
The Ypsilanti Police Department and the Ypsilanti Fire Department both responded to the call.
Maddison said the man, who he guessed to be about 50 years old, fell between 30 and 35 feet before hitting the water and was face down when a fire fighter entered the water to retrieve him. Initially, the man was unresponsive.
Fire fighters carried the man up to the street, where he was transported by Huron Valley Ambulance to the St. Joseph Hospital emergency room. Maddison said in the ambulance he was responsive if you got his attention but not speaking. He also was being treated for severe hypothermia.
The woman who called for help said it was unclear why the man was staggering and it's unknown if there was alcohol involved. It also is unknown if the man was an Ypsilanti resident.
His condition after being taken to the emergency room was unavailable.