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Conservation officer saves swimmer's life near Munising

MUNISING, MI--   A Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officer is being credited with saving the life of someone swimming in Lake Superior. 

Officer Mark Zitnik was on a boat on Munising Bay Saturday when he heard someone calling for help. Two swimmers had been wading in shallow water on a sandbar about 200 yards from him when they ended up in deep water with a strong current.

Zitnik steered the boat closer and jumped into the water when he was 10 to 15 yards from the swimmer, who was actively drowning. He used a water rescue hold and swam the man back to the boat. A nearby vessel assisted the second swimmer onboard.

Both swimmers were taken back to shore and reunited with their families. The first man said he was a Type 1 diabetic and Zitnik had saved his life.

Nicole was born near Detroit but has lived in the U.P. most of her life. She graduated from Marquette Senior High School and attended Michigan State and Northern Michigan Universities, graduating from NMU in 1993 with a degree in English.