OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — For Oshkosh couple, Tammy and Kevin Kovacic, a routine trip for fishing bait quickly turned into a life saving event.
- The Kovacics were able to save their neighbor, Tom Ivansek, after he got stuck in a ditch with his head submerged underwater.
- Ivansek often helps his neighbors by taking down their trash or picking up litter in the area.
- The Kovacics say it was a "miracle" that they were driving by when Ivansek needed help.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story, edited for web)
“It was like just get that man out don’t worry about anything, but just help him, you know?" Tammy Kovacic says.
Last Thursday, the Kovacics were on their way to get fishing bait when they had to turn back to grab Tammy's phone.
"We were driving down the street, and i had seen an older gentlemen fall," Tammy says.
The man was stuck in a ditch, his head completely submerged underwater.
"We could clearly see that he was in trouble, so I just hit the gas and did what came natural and dove right in," Kevin says.
Kevin was able to pull him out safely.
"We wouldn't have even been here if she hadn't remembered her phone," he says.
"It was a miracle that we came back," Tammy says.
The man was 76-year-old Tom Ivansek, who often pulls out his neighbors trash cans and picks up litter.
"I'm retired, it gives me something to do, and yeah I'd say I like to help people out," he says.
He was grabbing a piece of trash when he fell into the ditch.
"Usually I'm able to get up on my own, but this time I wasn't, so luckily he came by when he did," Ivansek says.
The Kovacics say the incident reminded them how important it is to check on older neighbors.
"Even if it’s just a knock on the door," Tammy says. "Because it could be my dad or your dad, your grandpa, your brother, your uncle, could have been anybody's family member, so I'm just glad he was okay."
The Kovacics bought Ivansek a grabber, so he can continue to clean up his community with less risk of falling.
