Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
LAKE WAWASEE — If you have ever been aboard the SS Lillypad II, you experience passing boats, residents onshore or in the lake giving big waves as the boat passes.
This was the case Sunday around 7:02 p.m. when the SS Lillypad was on its last public cruise for the day.
Capt. Scott Amsden was at the wheel. They were just out from Morrison Island on the east end of the lake, a way from the sandbar. Occupants of a nearby boat were seen waving at the crew and guests. At first nothing was thought about it, but then Amsden noticed the people frantically waving, and waving towels and pointing behind their boat.
Both Amsden and Capt. Scott Alvon spotted five people in the water about 100 yards to 150 yards away from their boat and struggling.
Alvon reported the wind was strong at that time causing the lake to be rough. Maneuvering the Lillypad to that area, they found two groups of people in the lake. One group had three individuals and the other had two individuals. Only two of the five had life jackets on.
Alvon and Amsden tossed out the life rings on the Lillypad to the individuals, and all five were brought aboard the boat. They were given towels and calmed. Alvon’s wife, who spoke Spanish, and one of those rescued who spoke broken English, were able to relate what happened.
“Their boat stalled,” said Alvon, noting a few had jumped in the water to hold the boat in its spot as they thought they were at the sandbar and it was shallow. But they were farther away and in deep water. Also due to the winds, the boat began to drift away.
“They were tired. They were done. The ones with the life jackets were getting beaten down by the others,” said Alvon.
Alvon and Amsden were going to tow the disabled boat and its passengers to the DNR boat ramp, where the occupants had their vehicle. However, officials with the Wawasee Lake Patrol, DNR and Turkey Creek Fire Territory arrived and the rescued individuals were transferred over to the officials.
“It was God’s will to get us there,” said Alvon. The outcome would have been different if the SS Lillypad was not where it was when it was.
Alvon was an assistant fire chief at Bass Lake and is a rescue diver. Amsden is trained in CPR and a good swimmer. Both men knew what had to be done.
An Eyewitness
The Adam Speicher family was on the Lillypad enjoying the views from the upper deck.
“We saw the boat and we see people waving,” said Speicher. “We thought it was just another group liking the Lillypad.”
However, he soon realized they were waving for help. He quickly ran down to the captain area and discovered the boat was already being diverted to the stranded boat. He estimated it took them two minutes.
“They were very exhausted,” he recalls. “It was an exciting Lillypad journey. But it would have been the worst ever,” if things were different.
