Merrill Foto News staff

A Lincoln County deputy is credited with potentially saving a young boy’s life after a report of a possible drowning was received at Otter Lake Campground in the Town of Harrison Sunday afternoon.

Just before 5 p.m. yesterday, a cell 911 caller reported that a person flagged her down and asked her to call for help as someone was drowning in Otter Lake. The Town of Russell Fire Department along with Tomahawk EMS and the Tomahawk Fire Department dive team were all paged to respond to the scene. Deputy Randy Ruleau, an 8 year veteran with the  Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, responded to the scene within three minutes of the call.

Ruleau found the 11-year-old boy from Stanley, WI clinging to a buoy with his head barely above the water. The father of the boy explained they had tried to swim out to the boy but he would push him under water by trying to climb on him. Ruleau used an emergency rope but could not get it close enough, so he stripped his emergency equipment off and swam to the boy with the rope. Once Ruleau reached the boy he grabbed hold as the boy’s mother pulled them back to shore safely. The pair were examined by Tomahawk EMS but they refused medical transport.

The Merrill Foto News is a sister-publication of The Star Journal, owned by Multi-Media Channels, LLC.