In August, 77-year-old Taylor Mill City Commissioner Edward Kuehne jumped into the Ohio River to rescue a struggling swimmer.
During last week’s Taylor Mill commission meeting, Kuehne watched as a line of his fellow Boone County Water Rescue Team members filed quietly in the back with smiles on their faces.
When he questioned them about their unexpected presence, one member answered that they were “simply here to see how the government works.”
Kuehne’s suspicions about the meeting’s nature proved warranted after the city’s mayor, Dan Bell, took the microphone to call him and the other rescue team members to the front of the meeting room.
“There was an event a weekend before Labor Day in which there was a tragic incident where a gentleman tried to swim across the Ohio River,” Mayor Bell began. He was speaking about the attempted rescue and recovery of a man who attempted to traverse the river’s width on Aug. 25.
Bell then went on to honor the Boone County Water Rescue Team for their efforts in trying to save the victim, and in particular, the actions of Kuehne, who jumped into the water himself to retrieve the victim’s body.
Bell began reading an official proclamation describing Kuehne’s brave actions. “At 6:16 p.m., the rescue swimmer Ed Kuehne was deployed into the water, immediately flipping the swimmer upright with his head above the water and transferring him onto the Covington Fire Zodiac Boat 1, where he immediately started CPR.”
The man was then taken by emergency services but died despite life-saving measures.
“I, the commission, and the staff of the city of Taylor Mill wish to express our gratitude and acknowledge fellow commissioner Ed Kuehne for his skills in community service as part of the Boone County Water Rescue,” said Bell before giving Kuehne an honorary plaque to a roomful of applause.
Kuehne then spoke, making sure to acknowledge the work of other team members who assisted in the rescue mission, “All of these people here and the other 40+ members [of the Boone County Rescue Team] would have done the same thing I did.”
“We’ve got a heck of a team,” said Kuehne. “We’ve got a heck of a captain right here and all these people here I call my brothers and sisters because I’ve spent hundreds of hours with these people on the river. We’ve got a great organization so this is a surprise to me, but thank you.”
Ed “Keeney” Kuehne has served Kentucky for over 50 years, during which time he has served several terms as a city commissioner since initially taking on the role fourteen years ago.
Along with his positions as city commissioner and Boone County Water Rescue swimmer (certified as a Swim Water Rescue technician), Kuehne is also on the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky Board and is a board of adjustments member.
To wrap up the special presentation, Kuehne left the room with one final piece of advice before moving on to the rest of the regularly scheduled meeting:
“Life is too short to take it for granted. Kiss the one you love or the children you love because you might not be with them tomorrow.”