Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
South Haven lifeguards credited with saving a life; police and lifeguards honored at city council meeting
Summary
Council awarded police and lifeguards for recent actions: detectives and an officer were recognized for a sexual‑assault investigation that led to an arrest, and three lifeguards received lifesaving awards after using CPR and an AED to stabilize a beach patron.
The South Haven City Council on June 15 publicly honored members of the police department and lifeguard staff for recent lifesaving and investigative actions.
Chief De Bar presented Professional Excellence Awards to Detective Michael Kinaszewski and Officer Drexel Haner for an April 2 criminal investigation that used victim‑centered practices and collaboration across enforcement teams to develop probable cause and led to felony charges and an arrest. The chief credited the detectives and officers involved for professionalism and investigative skill.
Chief De Bar also presented Lifesaving Awards to lifeguards Cam Patmus, Trinidad Marcus and Ryker DeYoung for a June 9 medical emergency at South Beach. According to the chief, Patmus identified the emergency, Marcus and DeYoung performed high‑quality CPR and Patmus deployed an automated external defibrillator that advised and delivered a shock; the patient was stabilized and taken in stable condition to Corewell Lakeland Hospital. Brandon Hens of SHAYS praised the lifeguards’ training and quick action.
During council comments later in the meeting a resident — the spouse of a council member — publicly thanked the lifeguards, emergency medical personnel and police for saving her husband’s life after a cardiac arrest. She recounted that lifeguards performed CPR and used an AED to restart his heart and said doctors told her the outcome was unlikely without that immediate intervention.
Chief Adam Dembowski, in a separate operations update, provided department statistics for May (city calls for service, traffic stops, a spike in OWI arrests), described recent SWAT drug operations and summarized lifeguard activity and training. He said the lifeguards logged hundreds of contacts during early summer operations and that towers and equipment remain in process of being shipped and assembled.
What happens next: the council recognized the individuals and no formal action was required; staff and emergency partners will continue training and equipment staging as the season progresses.
