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By Karen Clark - BJ Scherer accepts a .308 rifle from Mike Hresko. Scherer, who saved Hresko's life last winter, was honored at a party Saturday in Kellettville.
http://www.thederrick.com/stories/06132005-1006.shtml
A Kellettville teenager who saved the life of a neighbor last winter was honored Saturday afternoon for his heroic efforts.
BJ Scherer, now 17, came to the aid of 65-year-old Mike Hresko as he knelt helplessly frozen to his driveway in sub-freezing temperatures last March. The man known as "Uncle Mike" to his many friends and acquaintances had been frozen to his driveway for more than 10 hours. He was suffering from hypothermia and had a broken leg.
Hresko hosted Saturday's surprise party at Cougar Bob's in Kellettville. About 40 people attended, including family members, friends and delegates from the state House of Representatives and the Forest County commissioners
The citation presented by state Rep. Kathy Rapp (R-65th) called Scherer a "modern day hero" for his "great daring" and "quick reaction."
"Through his bravery and noble efforts he saved a man's life," she said.
In presenting the award from the Forest County commissioners, Basil Huffman also declared Scherer a hero.
A family friend, Bill Eberhard, presented Scherer with a certificate and a check.
"Accidents can happen, but up here in this part of the country, we have to look out for each other. BJ went beyond that," Eberhard said.
But no one in the crowd expressed more gratitude than Hresko, he of the never-ending grin.
Hresko presented Scherer a with a giant hug and a .308 hunting rifle for his efforts on that fateful March evening when temperatures dipped into the mid-20s and fell lower with the wind chill.
Hresko was enjoying some dinner and a shuffleboard game that evening at Cougar Bobs bar and began to make his way home around 10:30 p.m.
With the snow falling down around him, Hresko's truck slid off the road about 200 yards from his house. He exited the vehicle and began the short jaunt home dressed only in jeans, a T-shirt, long-sleeved shirt, a coat and tennis shoes. He was without a flashlight or gloves and began walking, relying on the edge of the road as his guide.
About 100 yards from his house he stepped off an embankment and fell. He got up, grasped at branches and tried to walk, but failed. Finally, he couldn't get back up. Hresko said he remained awake during the night, and kept trying to move closer to home, but eventually the heat of his body froze his pant legs to the snow-crusted gravel driveway. He remained in a kneeling position throughout the night.
Hresko, a retired Air Force captain and Vietnam veteran, knew from his survival in his 22 years of military service that he needed to stay awake.
Meanwhile, BJ and his father, Bill, owner of Cougar Bobs, were debating whether or not to begin some of their snow-plowing chores. The snowplowing mission was postponed that morning when school at West Forest High School was canceled. BJ Scherer attends the local school in the morning and then takes classes at the Venango Technology Center in the afternoon.
About 9 a.m., the pair were out servicing their truck and checking fluids to get ready to start plowing. During their maintenance duties, the younger Scherer kept telling his dad he heard something.
"My son kept saying he heard someone yelling for help. I told him he was hearing things. We are out in the middle of the woods and I thought it was a turkey or something. The truck was running and it's loud-I still don't know how he heard it," Bill Schrer said.
Finally after a third time, the elder Scherer also heard the noise and the pair hopped into the truck and made the "five-second drive" to their neighbor in need.
They found Hresko kneeling, immobile and calling for help. They helped him into their truck and took him to their home a few hundred yards away. They took him out of his wet clothing and covering him in warm blankets while awaiting arrival of emergency personnel.
Hresko was transported to UPMC Northwest in Seneca where he was a patient for several days during his recovery.
Hresko considers the ordeal "a miracle" and credits young Scherer with saving his life. He has made a nearly complete recovery with only minor traces of the frostbite still evident.
