2-23-15 local eagle scout recognized for life-saving actions

The Fond du Lac city council has recognized an Eagle Scout for his heroic, life saving actions involving a lake rescue in the Boundary Waters canoe area near the Minnesota-Canadian border.   The council last week honored North Fond du lac Horace Mann High School junior Michael Meisenberg with a proclamation.  Michael, his father Jeff and another adult, Michael Zagar were on a scouting expedition attempting to cross a deep lake to an island when strong winds and high waves swamped  their canoe more than two miles from shore.  Jeff Meisenberg says they didn’t realize that two canoes in front of them had turned back as they paddled into strong winds and whitecaps nearly overturning their canoe several times. Water eventually poured over the canoe, swamping it.  Michael instinctly grabbed Zager who had been knocked under the water by the force of the blow.  Jeff Meisenberger says he  found himself going down several feet in the cold water.  Michael told them to turn the canoe on its side so it would catch the waves and wind to help blow them back to shore, talking to Zagar and his father, asking questions to keep them calm.  Michael and his dad kept kicking to move the canoe toward shore.  The ordeal came to an end two and a half hours later when they reached shore, tired, soaked and shivering.  Michael Meisenburg was awarded the Honor Medal Award for Lifesaving by the Bay-Lakes Council Committee for Life-saving or Meritorius Action.  Meisenburg is a member of Boy Scout Troop 701, which is chartered to Immanuel Trinity Lutheran Church in Fond du Lac.