Moon Township Man Sinks Hummer in the Ohio River

and fire officials rescued a Moon Township man who sank his Hummer into the Ohio River Thursday night.

Sewickley Police Chief James Ersher said authorities believe the 40-year-old man, whom he did not name, went into diabetic shock before his black H2 Hummer left the boat ramp on Chestnut Street and went in reverse into the river.

Shortly after 6:30 p.m., the man called 911 from his cell phone, breathing heavily, and told dispatchers he couldn’t breathe, according to a police report. The call was traced to 118 Ohio River Boulevard, where Sewickley Patrolman Bill Hanlon and Sgt. Dave Mazza and Assistant Fire Chief Jed Van Hoffen responded.

Officers found the man lying on the ground in the middle of the Chestnut Street boat ramp. Police said he appeared to be distressed.

The man’s sport utility vehicle was immersed about 30 feet off shore in the river, with only about 3 feet of the back still visible, police said. 

Ersher said the man wasn’t “with it” enough to tell officials if someone was inside the Hummer.

Van Hoffen put on a life jacket, and police tied a rope to him. He waded into the water and swam to the vehicle. Hanlon stood at knee level in the water holding the rope. Police said Van Hoffen didn’t find anyone inside the vehicle.

The man was taken by ambulance to Heritage Valley .

firefighters, meanwhile, had to use the winch system on their truck to pull the Hummer out of the water. The vehicle was towed away.

Witnesses told police the man looked sick and pale when they saw him sitting in his vehicle at the bottom of the boat ramp smoking a cigarette.

The man told police at the hospital he called 911 because he was going into diabetic shock. Police said he could remember only walking out of the river, but nothing else. Hospital staff confirmed his blood sugar levels were low, police said.