4 in Canfield rescue man stuck in creek

By Elise Franco | June 19, 2009 at 12:01a.m.

Local Flooding

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Heavy Rain causes flooding downtown and around the city of Youngstown.

The township residents who saved a young man’s life say he’s lucky.

By Elise Franco

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

CANFIELD — They never knew his name, but four township residents will never forget saving his life.

Ron Knarr, Jerry DeCamp and Jon and Sandy Ulicney helped to rescue a man stuck in the creek under the Herbert Road bridge. Their actions were the talk of the township on Thursday, including at the administration building.

Knarr, who lives at the corner of Herbert and Turner roads, said he was at Old North Church with DeCamp at about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. They noticed young men get on rafts in the creek that runs between the church and the township park lands.

“We saw these guys get out of their car with their rafts and start up where the water was deep,” he said. “I told [DeCamp] ... there would be trouble.”

Knarr said the current was so strong that one of the men was sucked under the water where the creek runs under Herbert Road. As this was happening, Jon Ulicney and his wife Sandy came outside. The four ran to the bridge in an attempt to pull the man out of the water.

“I saw them, and I couldn’t believe what they were doing. I don’t think they saw the bridge,” Ulicney said. “At the time my main concern was hanging onto this boy so he didn’t go under water. When you’re in that situation you just have to do what you can.”

Ultimately what the four did was enough to save a life. Ulicney said this time he was lucky.

“If kids could see that, maybe they wouldn’t do it,” Ulicney said. “If we weren’t around who knows what would have happened to that young man.”

He escaped with just some cuts and scrapes. Knarr agreed it could have been much worse.

“He was shook up pretty bad when he got out,” Knarr said. “Had he gone under the bridge he never would have made it.”

Knarr and Ulicney said neither of the men would fully identify themselves. The one who was rescued said he was 21 and his name was Eric.

“I think they were afraid they would get in trouble,” Ulicney said.

efranco@vindy.com