Four Windsor Police officers recognized for daring Detroit River rescue

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens with Windsor Police Constables Abraham Nyamadi, Jeff Theriault, and Ryan Coughlin, along with Windsor Police Chief Jason Crowley during the Windsor Police Service Board meeting at Windsor City Hall. Constable Mark Turkalj not pictured. March 26, 2026.(Source: Rusty Thomson/AM800)

Four Windsor Police officers are being recognized for their quick teamwork in a daring effort to rescue a person from the Detroit River.

Constables Ryan Coughlin, Abraham Nyamadi, Jeff Theriault, and Mark Turkalj were honoured during Thursday’s Windsor Police Service Board meeting with a St. John’s Ambulance lifesaving award.

It stems from a 2023 call about a possible intoxicated person along Windsor’s riverfront around Chewitt Street between Russell Street and the Detroit River.

When police arrived, officers learned the person had entered the water before drifting into an area surrounded by a 12-foot-high fence and that the man was now below a large break wall.

Officers had to climb the fence and then work together to hold Constable Abraham Nyamadi by his legs to lower him down to grab the person in the river.

Nyamadi says it feels good to be recognized.

“Just doing our job; it’s what we do every day. I just wanted to get him out of the water so we could do what we did; he was unresponsive at the time,” he says. “I really wanted to get him out of the water so we could do some further life-saving measures. Also have EMS attend and do their part as well.”

Constable Ryan Coughlin says the conditions added some extra stress to the situation.

“You’re also making sure you don’t drop one of your own into the water and create that second emergency. That’s what it was, trying to make sure everyone was safe and save that guy, then perform the life-saving measures that you could,” he says.

Constable Jeff Theriault says there were a lot of things to figure out to save the person and then get them out to the road that was around 150 feet away.

“You ask any guy on the road, and they’re going to tell you that the number one thing is the teamwork and the guys that we work with every day. That’s what we’re here for: to help serve our community as a team and to put our heads together and figure out the problems,” he says.

Once on the land, the officers performed CPR on the person pulled from the river who was then transported to the hospital to receive further medical treatment.

The St. John Ambulance Life-saving Awards Program was established over 30 years ago to acknowledge those who have administered first aid while saving or attempting to save a life.