Dalton Grose

Dalton Grose rescued Dwight M. Weise from drowning, Albert Lea, Minnesota, September 20, 2023. Weise, 85, was trapped inside his truck, which was sinking in the 7-foot-deep water of Fountain Lake following an accident in which the truck went over a retaining wall near the shore. On a boat nearby, Grose, 25, construction administrator, and a coworker were taking aquatic weed samples and witnessed the truck sinking about 60 feet from shore. Grose drove the boat to within 25 feet of the truck and, fully clothed, he jumped feet-first into the cold water, swimming to the driver’s door. Noticing that water was up to Weise’s chin, Grose attempted to open the door, which was damaged in the accident, but was only able to open it about an inch before water pressure forced it shut. Determined, Grose placed both of his hands on the door handle before positioning his feet on the body panel beside the door. In a motion akin to a dead lift, he extended his legs while pulling on the door handle, successfully opening the door. Grose moved into the space between the door and the truck frame. Weise instinctively wrapped his left arm around Grose’s shoulders, at which point Grose cradled Weise under the legs and behind the back and pulled him from the vehicle. Grose pushed away from the truck using his legs before he and Weise sank to the bottom of the lake. Grose then realized that he could push off the bottom of the lake to resurface. Pushing off the lakebed, Grose took three bounding steps while cradling Weise – submerging and resurfacing with each step – until he reached wadable water up to his chin. He then carried Weise to a ladder attached to the dock, where Weise exited the water with the help of a bystander before he was delivered to emergency personnel. Grose then swam back to his boat and drove it to shore. Weise was disoriented in the aftermath of the crash, but he did not suffer any injuries. Grose was not injured.