BANGOR, Maine — For Josey Mackin, the only cause for hesitation was giving his new smartphone to his girlfriend before jumping into the Kenduskeag Stream to help keep a man from drowning.
“It’s a $300 phone. I didn’t want it to get wet,” said Mackin, who tossed the phone to his girlfriend right after a man fell into the Kenduskeag and broke both legs around 7 p.m. Tuesday. “And I wanted her to call 911.”
Mackin — who previously worked as an emergency medical technician in Maine for eight years — and girlfriend, Raven Morey, were near the Kenduskeag Stream Park concrete observation deck at the time of the accident. They were looking over the stream near what’s popularly known as “shopping cart falls” and watching people fish when the man suddenly plunged into the stream.
“I turned to look and saw him fall. He tried to jump down onto a little ledge and missed it. He landed about six feet away from me on the rocks,” said Mackin, now a bartender at Carolina Sports and Spirits bar and restaurant. “His back was on the rocks, but his head was in the water.
“At first I thought it was a mannequin and I asked if somebody threw something over, and my girlfriend said it was a person. So I grabbed my phone, threw it at her, told her to call 911 and I jumped in after him. I didn’t even think about it.”
The victim was 35-year-old Ryan King, a Bangor man who was partially on the rocks and partially in the Kenduskeag waters after falling 12 to 15 feet.
“I swam down with the current and caught myself right before him. I grabbed him by the shirt and pulled his head above water so he could breathe,” Mackin recalled. “I had to let go for a second to get my balance and then kicked myself on the rocks before pulling him onto the rocks with me. I saw both his legs were broken and moved him over so they weren’t sitting in the stream and held onto him by his shirt.”
That wasn’t the only challenge facing Mackin.
“He was trying to fight me and get out of there. He pushed away from me and almost went back in the water, but I pulled him back up again,” Mackin said. “He just didn’t know what was going on and was in a lot of pain.”
King had broken both femurs and also suffered numerous rib and elbow injuries.
“I kept talking to him and felt down his rib cage. His ribs were broken. Felt down his internals and nothing seemed out of place,” Mackin said. “I checked his legs and both femurs were blown out. His elbow was messed up. I just held him there and another guy came up to help, but he got really queasy when he saw what happened, so he walked away.”
As he waited for help to arrive, Mackin tried to keep King alert and awake, asking him his name, birthday, age, hometown and state.
“He started to close his eyes, so I’d shake him a little to keep him awake,” said Mackin, 29, of Brewer. “I lost track of time. It just shot by. I held onto him, holding one rock so I didn’t fall in and holding his shirt.”
The 911 call was received at 7:03 p.m. and emergency personnel were on the scene at 7:10 p.m., according to the Bangor Fire Department.
“A fireman showed up and stood behind me and asked what was wrong. I told him he had bilateral femoral fractures and his elbow was injured,” Mackin said. “Then EMS came down with some more firemen.”
Bangor police Sgt. Paul Edwards credited Mackin for his quick assistance at the scene.
“We really appreciate him helping,” Edwards said.
King was taken by ambulance to Eastern Maine Medical Center at 7:36 p.m. after the Bangor Fire Department’s tactical rescue team used a basket attached to ropes to help bring him up a steep hill from the stream.
An EMMC spokesman said Thursday afternoon there was no information available on King.
Nice Work Josey–you are a true Bangor Hero
If I ever have an accident I pray that Mr. Mackin is nearby. A courageous fellow is he !
Mr. Mackin, you are an example of what is good in this world. Hat’s off to you sir. Well done. And kudos to the Bangor Fire crew to. You guys earn respect every day.
In a big city of millions there would be a pretty good chance that someone with a smart phone would take a picture to send to freinds instead of passing it to his girl freind to call 911 and then risking his own life to save another person that he did not even know. People like Mr. Mackin is why I love living here in Maine.
Nice work Josey! You rock!
A man whose hand I will shake the next time I am in Bangor and at Carolina’s. The stories of individuals assisting others in need do not dominate our news as much as they should. An excellent example of the natural good which exists in mankind.
Hear! Hear!
Nice job by everyone.
Just a note, I believe the fire department performed a Technical Rescue. If that was a Tactical Rescue Team they would have guns.
since you brought it up … A Tactical Rescue Team is highly trained in rope rescue, confined space rescue, trench rescue and structural collapse. I think the article was correct.
Tactical is correct – defined as specialized rescue tactics for unusual or extreme conditions and situations. A Technical rescue would be defined as a rescue beyond the scope of training. Tactical does not mean weapons. It means tactics or ways of doings things. Mr. Mackin is a fine example of a exemplary human being and citizen. Congratulations, Sir!
Excellent run report, brother.
nice to read about someone doing a good deed for a change.
Someone needs to give Mr. Mackin a scholarship to medical school or his choice of a medical career . The world needs more people like you!!!
What courage and devotion to others
Thanks Josey. Great reaction under pressure. Speedy recovery Mr. King.
Good job Josey, This proves there are good people .
Thank you everyone. It was a great surprise seeing this, and all of the great comments. :-) I didn’t do anything that the next person wouldn’t do, and I would definitely do it all over again if I had to.
Be proud of what you did. I am sure most wouldnt have jumped down to help the way you did. Much easier just to dial 911. Great job and I hope Mr. King appreciates what you did to help him. Great job to Bangor Fire and Rescue as well. Those that choose to help others are all heros in my eyes!
There are many people, young man, who would have just walked away. There is a special place in Heaven for you….God bless.
did you see wdave’s comment?? wth
Im thinking wdave is just a bit jealous to think that someone may be getting attention that he isnt. Always one sour apple in the bag. Dont let it ruin your day Josey, you know what you did.
You are a true hero and a courageous man. My hats off to you for your quick action , I only hope that I have the fortitude to do the same if ever faced with a similar situation. Be proud of yourself.
Hidden heroes abound. Thank you for re-igniting my faith in regular people as good.
I just want to thank you so much for being down near the watch and able to get to him as quick is you did.. I was up in my car getting something out and about to walk down the stair to get to were Ryan was trying to get too before he fell, I didn’t even see him fall I did see him going over and jumping down to were we wanted to jump too, wasn’t think that was ever going to happen, and for get to get down those stair and see that he has go over I wouldn’t have got to him in time, So I’m so thankful and Thank God that you was there and ran time him and safe him for drowning.. I think you so get some type of Owner for what you have done.. :o)
by any measure, just a fine piece of work by all involved……..especially Josey
We are bombarded with so much terrible news everyday it’s truly wonderful to read a story like this. Mr. Mackin kudos to you. While I’d like to believe anyone in your shoes would have done the same thing as you exclaimed, until someone like you actually does it sometimes that’s hard to believe. Speedy recovery to Mr. King and I hope someone gives Mr. Mackin an opportunity to help others on an everyday basis! (If that’s something he desires to do with his life that is)
Good feeling knowing there are still good people out there. Kudos to you!
forget ‘roid popping baseball stars, and phony pop stars..can you say TRUE HERO!?
In 2005 at about the same location two young men helped save my son’s life, with a 911 call and one who did much the same as this amazing man, not thinking twice about rushing into the river and pulling my son to safety and staying with him until Emergency services arrived. After the Bangor Fire Department was able to bring him across to saftey and Emergency vehicles, from what I was told a crowd had gathered and the stories had begun. As the two young men now had lost the attention of a feat that most would not even attempt or accomplish.
I am proud and very grateful to say as well that there are those who would not hesitate to jump. Thanks to Mackin and to the boys (you know who you are) that life has blessed us with.
LJGS
You got talents Josey, please go back to a job in the medical field.
Congrats on a job well done and I wish I could give you more than just that.
Mackin you are a great man to do what you did. Its people like you that makes it worth reading the story. You have a big heart and glad your phone alright too.
A hero…a real one..
“We appreciate HIS helping.” My hero!..What a good thing to do.
For Once we get some good news!!! What a hero Mr. Mackin, you saved a mans life, you deserve a hero award!!! This made me smile instead of reading the BDN and hearing of all the crime and feeling pretty down about the world when Im done reading it, today I feel refreshed and happy to know there is still some good people out there.
I went to high school with Mr. Mackin, and I’m not surprised at all by his actions. Well done.
I’m so thankful for him being there and rescuing my boyfriend
Mr. Mackin, you are a true hero.
A TRUE HERO <3
Kudos to you,Mr Mackin- you saved this man’s life by acting bravely and selflessly. Also,good job by Bangor Fire Rescue for getting this man safely out of this perilous situation. Congrats to all,and a speedy recovery to Mr King…
Chivalry isn’t dead after all
Well done, Mr. Mackin. Well done. *salute*
Ummmmm… If the photo credit is correct, Josey Macklin took the photo, which means he was up above (taking the picture) and so could not be pictured with the rescue crew and perhaps that is why “wdave” didn’t see him.
That is correct. After fire rescue relieved me, and they took over, i went back up onto the observatory deck, grabbed my girlfriends cell phone, and took a few photos for memory sakes.
I post a few photo’s of the area and some of him in the hospital..
OOps, sorry: make that Mackin.
The same Josey Mackin in this article? http://maineblues.blogspot.com/2011/07/maine-edge-criminal-mischief.html
Yes, that was me. Article wasn’t dead on of what happened, but the Felony charges were dropped, along with many of the other charges. Have had a spotless record, but ended up screwing off on a motorcycle late at night one night, and it bit me. Never again. I survived my high speed crash w/o a scratch on me, and it’s a situation I will never put myself into again.
:-(
It amazes me that we have people in this world like “John”. Who, instead of seeing the good in things, they have to concentrate on the bad. Just because your life is most likely miserable, and you’ve done nothing with yourself, you don’t have to go around, and pull out the negative past on people in order to make yourself feel better. You should be ashamed of yourself for doing something like this. Everyone has a bad part in their life. Whether or not they keep doing so, is another story. Doing a search for Mr. Mackin on google only comes up with that one incident, which obviously shows he’s had 1 mishap in his life of 30 years. Being an EMT for as long as he was, and saving this mans life as he did, undoes any bad Karma that he may have brought upon himself with the motorcycle accident. It’s not as though he killed anyone, or that he had robbed or stolen something. He got in trouble for playing around on a motorcycle, something even myself has gotten at one point in time. John, you should be heavily ashamed of yourself, and if you were any type of self respecting man at all, you would remove your comment.
Congratulations Mr. Mackin on your heroic event. It’s nice knowing there are people like you here in Maine still, with the news being filled lately with nothing but Bath Salts, and corrupted politics. *hats off*
oops…looks like the hero was charged with felony eluding a police officer. He still did a great thing yesterday.
There’s always those who want to bring up a “negative” thing to every “positive”… Mr. Mackin, we need more caring people like you in this world. Your courageous response to this situation is one to be proud of. I’m sure Mr. King is very thankful that you were there that day.