Two Gordie Howe International Bridge workers have been honoured again for their lifesaving actions rescuing four people from a capsized boat last fall.
At a ceremony held on the project site on July 30, 2024, Dan Dombrow and Mike Isble, the Captain and First Mate of the Bridging North America (BNA) rescue boat, received the Captain David P. Dobbins Award for excellence in search and rescue from the US Coast Guard. They also received the Dragados Heroes Award from Dragados USA at the ceremony.
The Dobbins Award is presented in recognition of outstanding action while conducting a search and rescue mission on the Great Lakes. It’s named after the first superintendent of the U.S. Lifesaving Service of the Great Lakes in 1876.
In November 2023, Dombrow and Isble jumped into action when a fishing boat capsized in the Detroit River in rough weather conditions. While the boat and passengers were not affiliated with the project, the incident took place near the Gordie Howe International Bridge site, allowing Dombrow and Isble to respond in less than a minute. They were able to rescue the four people and transport them to the nearest dock, where the BNA Emergency Team and the Detroit Fire Department took over.
Dombrow and Isble are members of Operating Engineers (OE) Local 324.
“We are truly proud of Mike and Dan. Their rapid response and courage helped save lives,” said OE324 Business Manager Doug Stockwell. “At Operating Engineers 324, we strongly believe in safety and we work tirelessly to make sure that the work site and the environment around us are safe for everyone. Operating engineers are trained to react quickly when we see something isn’t right or when we see people in trouble, and Dan and Mike’s quick action is in our DNA.”
This is not the first honour Dombrow and Isble received for their actions. In February, the two workers received the Silver Medallion Medal of Safety, one of Fluor's highest safety awards.
Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA) and BNA work collaboratively to prioritize health and safety on and near the Gordie Howe International Bridge project construction site. In 2023, the project team was honoured with the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA) John M. Beck Award for the third consecutive year.
