New Baltimore, MI, Crews Free Boy's Leg from Bleachers

A section was removed to release the bleacher's hold, New Baltimore Fire Chief Jeff Stellman said.

Sept. 25, 2025

2 min read

Katelyn Larese

Voice News, New Baltimore, Mich.

(TNS)

Sep. 24—An 11-year-old boy was rescued Tuesday afternoon after he got stuck in the bleachers at the Anchor Bay Aquatic Center in New Baltimore, officials said.

The incident occurred around 2 p.m. when the boy attempted to retrieve a girl's ring that was dropped from the bleachers at the school facility on Ashley Street. He was stuck for about 20 minutes before New Baltimore firefighters arrived.

"He got his leg caught and it was stuck," New Baltimore Fire Chief Jeff Stellman said. "The more that they used the (Jaws of Life) to try to push it away from the wall, the bleachers pinched him more and more. So they just cut away at the section and removed the whole section."

First responders worked to free him for about 40 minutes using the Jaws of Life. The boy was uninjured and was able to return the ring to his friend.

"It went pretty smooth," the fire chief said. "It was no one's fault, just a kid that had a big heart."

First responders commonly use hydraulic rescue tools like the Jaws of Life to extricate people who are trapped in a vehicle after a crash. New Baltimore firefighters regularly train with the equipment, although it's "not too often" they have to use it in real-life scenarios, the chief said. In this case, they used an angle grinder, Sawzall and spreaders to free the boy.

"You gotta stay up on the training for it," Stellman said.

Originally Published: September 24, 2025 at 12:39 PM EDT