Firefighters in central Wisconsin staged a dramatic rescue of a park worker whose vehicle was swept away by rising waters in a river Thursday, video showed.
a video Photos posted to Facebook by the Richfield Rural Fire Department (RRFD) show emergency personnel efforts to rescue a 64-year-old Wood County employee whose truck was allegedly swept away while attempting to close the gates of Northwood County Park. The fire department said the employee's actions were to keep the vehicle out of the Yellow River, which was flooded by heavy rains. press release.
Around 10 p.m. Thursday night, rescue crews from RRFD and eight other agencies were dispatched to free the employee who was trapped in his truck, which was almost completely submerged, according to a press release. (RELATED: Video shows emergency workers rescuing woman from swollen river)
clock: https://t.co/LoAoDRs1lp
Park worker rescued after becoming stranded in rapids in central Wisconsin pic.twitter.com/BKDSe5HoIq— News 4 San Antonio (@News4SA) August 3, 2024
According to the video, swift-water rescue team members used special ropes and a Rapid Deployment Craft (RDC) to reach the trapped worker, outfit him with a personal flotation device and tow him to shore.
The park employee was evacuated to a safe location, examined by medical staff and released, according to the press release.
The “highly complex whitewater rescue” took approximately two hours to complete, but “was carried out without interruption and was a successful rescue with no reported injuries,” the RRFD said in a statement.
Fire officials reminded residents that with water levels currently rising in central Wisconsin, it's important to “stay away” from areas that may flood because more than 50 percent of flood-related deaths are the result of driving or walking through floodwaters, the statement said.
The National Weather Service reported 0.52 inches of rain fell locally Thursday. Fox 11 report.
