Kayak capsizes on Clinton River, Sterling Heights officer rescues trapped woman

Sterling Heights officer rescues woman from Clinton River

On Saturday afternoon, Sterling Heights police officer Nikolas Bruno pulled up to a chaotic scene in the Clinton River where a woman was in the water after her kayak capsized. Officer Bruno didn?t give it a second thought.

STERLING HTS, Mich. (FOX 2) - As the weather warms up, more and more people will head outdoors for fun – particularly on water. In Sterling Heights, a police officer was called to save a woman who was stuck on a log dam on the Clinton River.

Sterling Heights Police released dramatic dashcam video that shows the officer jumping into the cold river to save the woman.

What we know:

Police said around 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, officer Nikolas Bruno was called to help a woman in distress. When he got there, he found the woman holding a downed tree in the middle of the river. She wasn't wearing a life jacket and was clearly panicked while calling for help.

Bruno took his gear off and jumped into the water. He had to navigate over a dam of logs before reaching the woman. A nearby woman offered her own life jacket to help Bruno save the woman. 

The river temperature was around 60 degrees on Saturday.

Once on the shore, the woman said she was kayaking for the first time with her daughter and niece when it got caught on a downed tree in the river and capsized. She said she had hit her head and was barely hanging on before Bruno saved her life.

Sterling Heights Police Officer Nikolas Bruno is being hailed for his heroic efforts to save a woman's life on the Clinton River.

Bruno, a U.S. Navy veteran, is being celebrated for his exceptional bravery and selflessness.

"His heroic actions reflect the highest standards of duty and commitment to the community," the police department said on Facebook.

What we don't know:

The woman was not identified.

Sterling Heights cop dives into Clinton River to save kayaker

A kayaker said her boat capsized on the Clinton River over the weekend and she was clinging to a log for life. But a Sterling Heights Police Officer arrived just in time to save her.