Tiki boat captain, family aboard help save woman from river in Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH — A quick-thinking tiki boat captain and the family on board made a daring rescue Saturday afternoon. Cruisin’ Tikis Pittsburgh Captain Robb Rusiewicz and the family said they saved a woman from nearly drowning in the Mon River.

“When we first saw her, she was about 100 yards in front of that barge right there,” said Brian Gates of Duncansville.

Gates was with his wife Chantel Ventura celebrating their daughter Grace’s 12th birthday with her two friends on a tiki boat tour when he said the captain spotted someone bobbing up and down in the water struggling.

“I got in front of the boat, and I kept hollering, putting my thumbs up, ‘Are you okay? Are you okay?’ No response,” Gates said.

Gates quickly called 911. Captain Robb turned the boat in the woman’s direction.

“She was struggling with hands and arms, just everything she could do to just to keep her nose above water,” said Gates. “I don’t know how much longer she would have made it.”

The family and boat captain then pulled the woman out of the Mon River.

“She laid face down, couldn’t move her arms and legs for quite some time, couldn’t even speak,” Ventura said. “She was completely exhausted.”

Gates said the woman first told them she was swimming but later told them she fell in. The family said she was disheveled and had cuts all over her feet.

“I looked at her feet and there was bruising and cuts, almost like somebody didn’t have shoes,” said Gates.

Rescue boats came and Gates said Captain Robb brought her to police. They never got the woman’s name or know how she actually ended up in the river.

Point State Park Manager Jake Weiland said the 54-year-old woman was taken to the hospital for treatment and is expected to recover.

“In my eyes, Capt. Robb’s the real hero,” Gates said. “He’s watching everything. He saw. That’s the hero.”

Grace Ventura, 12, said this is one birthday she soon won’t forget but she’s thankful they were there to jump in and help.

“I’m glad we got her the help she needed and I’m glad she’s hopefully okay,” she said.

Channel 11 spoke with Captain Robb over the phone. He said he’s grateful they left about 30 minutes early Saturday and saw the woman when they did. Otherwise, things could have ended much differently.

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