Luke Klink
Sep 14, 2022
Members of Sons of Amvets Squadron 127 in Ladysmith were putting the wraps on another community service project recently when their ears were pierced by shrieks from a person in distress.
Squadron members Dave Roth, Darcy Dent, Mark Bader and Tom Hutnik were at OJ Falge Park, completing much-needed repairs on the floating aerators in Corbett Lake. It was a tranquil setting on a peaceful day in a relatively quiet area of the park. Bad weather meant few people were around. When the aerator work was done, members began packing their gear for the trip home.
As they were preparing to leave on Sunday, Aug. 28, a young boy was arriving on his bike to do a little fishing.
Seiver Galindo, 10, of Ladysmith, started fishing from the same dock the squadron was working from. They passed, each going about their business.
“He was the only one there, fishing and minding his own business,” said Roth, the Sons of Amvets Squadron commander. “He was asking a lot of questions about where to fish and what kind of fish were in the pond.”
Seiver opened his tackle box. He showed the group his collection of lures.
Roth took a few moments to explain what baits he would tie onto his line if it was him fishing on Corbett Lake. After exchanging a few ideas, Roth went back to work.
The Sons of Amvets members finished packing up their things. They walked back to their vehicles. They returned a metal boat and oars to a shed farther down the shoreline.
As they loaded their gear into a trailer, behind them the boy they just met was suddenly over his head in trouble. He had fallen in. He was screaming for help. His yells were loud enough to hear from a football field away.
“It was then we head that blood curdling scream,” Roth said. “I looked over at the dock, and he’s gone.”
The Sons of Amvets wasted no time. They raced back to lend a helping hand.
“We were that close to leaving,” Roth said.
Roth was in the parking lot, about 40 yards away. He took off running.
“By the time I got there, he had just gotten hold of the dock, but he had swallowed quite a bit of water,” Roth said.
Roth and Dent were the first to get there. They pulled Galindo out of the water, and onto the safety of the dock.
“Darcy reached down, and we both got him up,” Roth said. “He was scared. We sat there a little bit, reflected and told him everything is OK.”
Roth described the look on Seiver’s eyes as “huge.”
“He was scared,” Roth said.
Galindo lost his pole. His cell phone was soaked. He was shaking.
“We all were a bit shaken,” Roth said.
The Sons of Amvets still aren’t sure how the boy on the OJ Falge dock went from casting for fish to gasping for air, but in no time all parties involved were back safely on land.
The day started out somewhat normal, according to Roth.
“But what happened when we were there will always leave a forever lump in my throat,” Roth said on social media.
He described Galindo as, “A very pleasant young boy.”
“We were picking up our stuff and getting ready to leave when we heard a blood curdling yell for help,” Roth said. “This young boy was scared to death that he wasn’t going to make it.”
Roth called the events, “Scary.” He added if everything happened four more minutes later the outcome could have been much different.
“I’ve never felt a death grip till today,” Roth said. “He was scared and in needed of rescue. Thank God all turned out well.”
After some time airing out, Galindo’s cell phone charged back to life. His pole is lost, sunk to the bottom of Corbett Lake.
OJ Falge Park is usually a pretty peaceful place. It isn’t a popular fishing destination due to excessive vegetation that grows on its surface, but it has been called “handy” for summer recreation because it is located within the city limits and near the Rusk County Community Library.
Roth thanks God the squadron was there to help. He praised members for helping including Dent, Bader and Hutnik.
“And I thank God that all turned out well,” Roth said.
Days after the rescue, the Galindo family and Sons of Amvets members gathered at the Veterans Memorial Association headquarters on Summit Avenue. They surprised the boy with an assortment of fishing lures and the opportunity of a lifetime — a chance to wet a line with someone who does quite a bit of fishing himself.
Roth, an avid angler, invited the boy to go fishing. He also offered to take the lad ice fishing, noting he is always looking for a partner. He also noted he has a secret spot known to produce big bluegills and kingsize crappies.
Galindo said he is definitely hooked on fishing, and really wants to go ice fishing.
“I am glad the outcome was wonderful, and that we were there to help,” Roth said.
Sons of Amvets members pointed out how loud Galindo was calling for help.
“When you yelled for help, I was 100 yards away. Oh, he yelled,” Bader said.
“When I turned around there was nobody on the dock. There was nobody on the dock. I took off from a dead run,” Roth said.
“He was shaking,” Bader said.
Roth spent the better part of an hour in the lake around the dock after the rescue, scouring the stained water for the lost fishing pole. No luck.
Roth estimates the water around the dock is at least 7 feet deep. He described the bottom as “muddy.”
“We were trying to find his pole, and we never did find it,” Roth said.
“Maybe a big fish swam away with it,” Bader said.
Roth described Seiver as a “pleasant kid” who comes from a great family and great support network.
“He’s a great kid,” Roth said.
Galindo said he was “very scared.” He said he is “thankful” the Sons of Amvets were there to help.
“I am very thankful,” Galindo said.
Galindo said it was only his second time fishing at Corbett Lake. He added he is more familiar fishing on the Flambeau River.
“I am glad we could be there. That is for sure,” Roth said.
“We just made a new fishing friend,” Bader said.
“For life,” Roth said. “I am glad he is going to be around for a few more years to enjoy more fishing.”
Seiver is the son of JD and Robin Galindo. The Ladysmith parents praised the Sons of Amvets and the small town nature of Ladysmith that enticed them to choose to live in Rusk County. Originally from California, JD worked in Wisconsin after military before moving to the East Coast.
The family wanted to move back to Wisconsin, and settled here.
“I am obviously extremely happy someone was there to help him when he needed a little bit of help,” JD said. “These are great people, and this is a great community. This is exactly what we were looking for when we moved.”
Roth is pleased the squadron could help. He also has bonded with the Galindos.
“I think I have found a friend for life, this little guy,” Roth said. “And a family for life.”
“These are the types of things you find in a small town,” JD said.
Sons of Amvets hope they can have railings installed on the dock, eliminating a dangerous situation. Right now, there are no protections to prevent a person from falling in.
“We don’t need this happening twice,” Roth said.
Dent, who lives in Ladysmith, described the scene in one word. “Wow,” she said.
“As a mom, I was just thinking we had to get this kid out of the water,” Dent said.
She was also thinking what might have happened if the group had not decided to make the aerator repairs on that day, at that specific time and in that area of the park. If any of these variables had been changed, the message to the boys’ family might have been much different, she added.
“Just to be on that end of the park, we were very lucky,” Dent said. “It was a very quiet day.”
Bader, who lives in Bruce, said it was a situation where everyone involved was, “Lucky to be there.” “It is something you don’t plan for,” he said.
“Just to be there and be a part of that, it was meant to be. It is something you don’t definitely plan for, it is something you just do. You don’t think about it. You just do what you got to do,” Bader said.
Bader explained if the roles were reversed.
“If it was me, I would hope someone would jump in for me too,” Bader said. “You do what you got to do.”
It was a cloudy rainy day, and the only people in that area of the park were Galindo and the Sons of Amvets. Bader believes if help wasn’t coming quick for Galindo, the boy was in serious trouble.
Once in the water the rescuers could hear the shouts from help from a football field away. They came running.
“The kid was lucky we were there. That is about all that I can say,” Bader said. “We pulled him out, and he was shaking. He was scared. He was lucky we were there, for sure.”
Bader said anyone hates to see events like this occur, but accidents happen.
“I’m just glad we were there,” Bader said.
SAFE FISHING — Sons of Amvets Squadron 127 in Ladysmith presents a “Safe Fishing” package including a new rod and reel and tackle to Seiver Galindo, 10. Squadron members rescued the youngster after he fell off a dock at Corbett Lake in OJ Falge Park in the city. Making the presentation are squadron members who assisted in the rescue including (from left) Darcy Dent, Commander Dave Roth and Mark Bader. Not pictured is squadron member Tom Hutnik.