Tiger Docks Provides Dock Installation for Local Hero
O’FALLON, MO (May 13. 2015) – Tiger Docks crew members recently volunteered a Saturday to install a floating wood dock and ramp for Marine Captain Matt Cooper of Wentzville at his rural retreat outside of Perryville.
Captain Cooper, a recipient of the Purple Heart, was critically injured in 2009 when an IED blew up underneath his patrol truck in Afghanistan. He lost his right leg, broke every bone in his left leg, and suffered a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Captain Cooper’s father, Tim, bought property outside of Perryville late last year and approached Tiger Docks about building a special dock on the pond there.
“Matt loves to fish and he loves the peacefulness he feels at the lakeside property,” Tim Cooper said. “The place we bought already had a small dock, but it wasn’t one that worked for Matt in his wheelchair.”
Tim Cooper asked Tiger Docks if they could build a new dock with a specially-inclined ramp to make the dock safely accessible for Matt. ADA docks with extra-wide ramps and safety kick rails are something of a specialty for Tiger Docks, which has recently installed those for the cities of Belleville, Waterloo and Chesterfield, the St. Charles County Parks Department, and a Great Rivers Greenway project.
The team at Tiger Docks felt a special connection to Captain Cooper, who grew up in Lake Saint Louis where Tiger Docks originated. After Tim Cooper committed to the dock design and material specifics, Tiger Docks donated the equipment and installation labor to bring the project to completion. The end product installed was a 16’x16’ ADA floating wood dock with a 6’x16’ wood ramp, both including a kick rail around the full perimeter, with encapsulated float drums and galvanized steel dock hardware.
“We’ve done some special jobs during my time at Tiger Docks, but this project for Captain Matt was the most rewarding experience I’ve ever had,” said Zach Meier, crew leader. “I’m actually glad we had a rain delay. It gave us a great opportunity to get to know Matt and his dad better. They are both amazing guys.”
The Tiger Docks crew met at their O’Fallon work place at 6:00 am last Saturday, drove to the site 20 miles southwest of Perryville and off loaded. Then they had to wait out a storm for three hours before they could begin the construction and installation project. All told, it was a 12-hour day for the company’s six volunteers.
“It was an honor to do this for Captain Matt,” said Nick Davis, Tiger Docks president and participant in the special day. “After all he’s gone through, we felt like this was the least we could do to show our appreciation for Captain Matt’s service and sacrifice.”
Photo caption, from left: Scott Moss, Zach Meier, Alex Johnson, Tim Cooper, Capt. Matt Cooper, Bob Cabral, Nick Davis, Luke Sandine, Tim Wiechens. Project mascots were Capt. Cooper’s dogs, Scooby and Ike.