- A mother's grief became a community safety mission. After losing her 19-year-old son Wyatt Bernal in a canoe accident on July 2, Michala Stepanek channeled her loss into action by partnering with the Papio Missouri River Natural Resources District to provide free life jackets at Wehrspann Lake.
- The program is already working and growing. The lending station launched with just 14 life jackets and has grown to 27 through community donations — and the story captured a real-time example of the program in use when a lake visitor returned a jacket he had borrowed after losing his own.
- The goal is bigger than one lake. Papio NRD Board Chairman Tim McCormick said he hopes to expand the lending stations to all 16 of the district's reservoirs, signaling that what started as one mother's personal mission could become a regional water safety standard.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
SARPY CO., Neb. (KMTV) — Michala Stepanek lost her 19-year-old son Wyatt Bernal on July 2 when his canoe tipped over. Now, she is turning her grief into action — making free life jackets available to everyone at Wehrspann Lake.
A month ago, Stepanek partnered with the Papio Missouri River Natural Resources District to launch a life jacket lending station at the lake, hoping to prevent accidents like the one that took Wyatt's life.
"All it can take is a tipped canoe and not wearing a life jacket and you aren't around anymore," Stepanek said.
The station started with a collection of 14 life jackets but has since grown thanks to community donations. The impact of the program was on full display when a lake visitor returned a life jacket after losing his own — and stopped to thank Stepanek with a hug.
"I let her know that we feel her son's presence on the lake bringing us back in," Donnie Knickerbocker said.
Papio NRD Board Chairman Tim McCormick said Labor Day weekend typically brings more traffic to the reservoirs, and he is urging people to put safety first.
"Reach, throw, row and go are the life saving things that come with water safety. It just takes one second for something to capsize or for someone to get into a current," McCormick said.
McCormick said he hopes to make the lending stations a standard feature on all 16 of the district's reservoirs.
Stepanek said watching the community embrace the program has been meaningful — and she hopes it keeps growing.
"It was really exciting to see so many there and then this guy just brought one so now there are 27 life jackets. But he was actually using it." Stepanek said.
Stepanek said it is important to discuss water safety with children no matter what age they are.
