[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 90 (Thursday, June 30, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1404]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   RECOGNIZING THE HEROIC EFFORTS OF THE PEOPLE WHO SAVED DEAN OLSON

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. COLLIN C. PETERSON

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 29, 2005

  Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, May 25, 2005, 
84-year-old Dean Olson of Montevideo, Minnesota lost control of his 
pickup truck during a storm, went off the road, and landed 
approximately 35 feet into the Minnesota River. The vehicle was not 
visible from the road. Mr. Olson spent over 2 hours trapped in the 
vehicle, submerged to his shoulders in 40-degree water, after 
sustaining multiple injuries.
  It is our intention today to recognize the compassionate and heroic 
efforts of three people who saved Mr. Olson's life that day: Mr. Kevin 
Applewick, Chippewa County Sheriff Deputy Timothy Christensen, and Mr. 
Robert Pender.
  Kevin Applewick discovered the partially submerged truck while 
searching for a fishing spot. Mr. Applewick could not determine if 
anyone was in the vehicle. He promptly notified the Chippewa County 
Sheriff's Office. Deputy Timothy Christensen was dispatched to the 
scene and arrived at the same time as Robert Pender, who was fishing in 
the area. By the time of their arrival, Mr. Applewick thought he had 
heard low moans coming from the pickup. Mr. Pender and Deputy 
Christensen immediately waded into the swift current of the near 
freezing Minnesota River, where they discovered Dean Olson trapped in 
the vehicle. They notified emergency response personnel, and kept Mr. 
Olson breathing and prevented him from drowning for 20 minutes while 
standing in over 4 feet of cold river water until EMS professionals 
could evacuate him.
  Dean Olson, who served his country as a fighter pilot in the Pacific 
Theater during WWII, remains hospitalized in serious condition at 
Hennepin County Medical Center.
  He and his family are extremely grateful for the extraordinary 
efforts that sustained Mr. Olson's life.
  The extraordinary efforts and exceptional actions of Kevin Applewick, 
Timothy Christensen, and Robert Pender are hereby recognized and 
commended.

                          ____________________