On December 26, 2025, Mankato Public Safety was called for a rescue in the Minnesota River at the Veteran’s Memorial Bridge. A suicidal female had jumped off the bridge into the river and was clinging to a sheet of ice and calling for help. Multiple police officers and firefighters arrived, made verbal contact with the person and prepared equipment for an ice rescue. 

Firefighters Keith Klinder and Michaela Laffin donned ice rescue suits and operated the inflatable raft to conduct the rescue. The patient was in the middle of the river on weak layers of ice that broke apart when reaching her. Additionally, her specific location at the upstream edge of the ice presented greater risk of drowning should she have fallen through when the rescue team was approaching. They physically grabbed the patient as hypothermia rendered her incapable of moving her upper extremities.

On January 30, 2026, Mankato Public Safety was called for an unresponsive adult male at the YMCA where a club member was discovered unconscious on the racquetball court. YMCA staff member Warren Peterson arrived and started CPR on the patient. YMCA Aquatics Director Katie Murphy arrived, started using their defibrillator and assisted Mr. Peterson with CPR.

Firefighters Keith Klinder and Robert Atzenhoefer arrived and installed their CPR device, secured an advanced airway on the patient, and continued administering shocks from the defibrillator until the patient regained a pulse and was transported to the hospital.

On February 1, 2026, Mankato Public Safety was called for a man who had fallen through the ice at Hiniker Pond and was hanging on to the ice. Mr. Stenberg was walking his dog when he observed a man on the ice and subsequently saw him fall into the water. Mr. Stenberg did not have his phone with him, so he returned to his residence to retrieve his phone and call 911. Mr. Stenberg also made contact with Mr. Balk to request his assistance. Mr. Stenberg and Mr. Balk immediately went onto the ice to rescue the man from the water. When Mankato police officers and Blue Earth County deputies arrived, they observed Mr. Stenberg and Mr. Balk successfully pulling the man from the water onto the ice and assisted him to shore.