LUCAS COUNTY, Ohio — Charles Kulwicki battles dementia. His daily life can be a struggle, but on Aug. 4, it turned into a fight between life and death when he fell into the pond at his family's home in Jerusalem Township.
"He fell into the pond, and by the time I got there he was limp," Kulwicki's daughter, Angela, said.
Angela estimated the pond to be about 50 feet at its deepest point. Kulwicki's granddaughters, including nine-year-old Gracelynn Reihing, saw what was happening and alerted Angela. While Angela started calling for help, her niece, eight-year-old Ava Schultz, dialed 911.
"(We were) scared and nervous," the girls said.
Angela's calls for help were answered by neighbors, including nurse practitioner Christina Miller. They started performing CPR.
"You never know what's going to happen until you're in that moment yourself, and it's someone that you love," Angela said. "You don't realize it."
When EMS crews arrived, Ava's five-year-old sister, Marissa, told them where to go. Crews took Charles to the hospital where he was supported by a breathing machine for three days. He is expected to be okay, the family said.
Officials say the girls' actions, as well as everyone else involved, made all the difference.
"If it wasn't for that effort, it's up to the good lord whether or not the outcome would've changed," Jerusalem Township Fire Chief Tony Parasiliti said.
The township on Tuesday honored the girls and others who saved their grandfather from drowning. More than a dozen people worked together to save a grandfather from death, and it was possible thanks to the young girls, Angela said.
"They know that this was definitely a life and death situation," Angela said. "They did exactly what they were supposed to do."
Jerusalem Township credits water safety education as another component of the girls' quick, life-saving actions. The department teaches safety classes at all Oregon City Schools.