Man arrested after falling into river chasing one-legged goose

A Wausau man was rescued from the Wisconsin River on Thursday after he plunged into its frigid water while drunk and chasing a hobbled goose, police said. Troy Kaczor, 40, told police he shed his shirt and shoes at Big Bull Falls Park in downtown Wausau before he dived into the river, intending to catch the one-legged bird and then roast it, Wausau Police Lt. Bill Kolb said.

Kaczor, who had been drinking heavily before taking the plunge, was unable to escape the clutches of the cold water and was rescued by Wausau firefighters, Kolb said. Sergio Lopez, a waiter at the Mandarin Restaurant which overlooks the river, said he couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the half-naked man pulled from the water at about 2:30 p.m. on Thursday.



"When I saw him I was like, 'Wow, what happened?'" Lopez said. "I was shocked."
Lopez said he often sees people jump in the river during hot summer days, but rarely in October. The high temperature hit 72 degrees on Thursday. "My thought was that he had been drinking. People who have not been drinking don't do that," he said. "It's not a good time to jump in the river."

Kaczor was unable to secure his goose dinner, but he did get a meal out of the mishap. Police arrested Kaczor, 529 McClellan St., on a warrant for bail jumping and took him to the Marathon County Jail, Kolb said. As far as the police know, the goose still is on the loose.