Off-duty Cop takes a splash

[TheeBadOne]

Hero cop saves woman's life not once, but twice

Marty Avery has avoided the wrath of her mother and lived to see another day after an off-duty city cop risked his own life to save hers not once — but twice.

Her death-defying ordeal began while kayaking near Elbow Falls in Kananaskis country on Wednesday with Kevin Zeh, a Calgary police constable, and a mutual friend.

Zeh said he and the friend had gone down a rough patch of water when 46-year-old Avery was making her way down.

He said he watched in horror as Avery’s kayak flipped, after which she jumped out and got caught in a sweeper.

Avery, who lost her paddle in the accident, jammed her forehead and elbow on a rock face before her kayak turned upside down.

Hanging onto the boat, Avery tried making her way to calmer waters but was pushed towards a sweeper and trapped in a life-and-death battle.

“I was just yelling at her there was a sweeper and she could not get clear of it,” Zeh said.

“She ended up hitting the log and her feet were stuck underneath it and she was pinned. To make things worse, the boat came up against her back and just stuck there.”

Avery said the force was intense and paralyzing.

“It was like a bathtub or a refrigerator was on my chest and I couldn’t breathe,” she said.

“I’m thinking, ‘This is the day I’m going to die and my 75-year-old mother is going to be very angry because she always tells me not to take any stupid chances.’” Zeh managed to paddle up to her side but the help he offered quickly vanished when he could not budge the boat either.

Zeh said Avery was begging for help as he was being sapped of all energy — still no movement of the kayak.

Then, the father of two young children realized his bid to save Avery could kill him, too.

“I was thinking of my own safety, my children, my wife,” he said.

“Then I saw her go from white to ashen to blue and in my head I was saying, ‘She’s dead.’

“I had one last chance and I thought, ‘Nope, she is not going to die.’”

Zeh managed to free Avery, only to watch her float into another sweeper where she was briefly trapped until he again set her free.

“When that happened I thought, ‘God really wants me to die today,’” Avery said.

“But Kevin didn’t give up — he put himself in harm’s way to save me, not once but twice.”

Zeh, who said “the skies are now a bit more blue” plans to go kayaking tomorrow while Avery went canoeing today — and “thanking the river for letting” her go.



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[gozling]

very cool

[Ianl6]

That woman owes him big time now but wasn't it nice to see a guy risk everything not once but twice to save a life,the man is a hero and that is a FACT.

[snuffy2202]

Awesome job. He's a Hero in my book!