Drivers have close call in local flood waters
This past weekend was another sober reminder for motorists to not take chances when crossing flood waters.
At 10:30 a.m. Friday, a pickup truck was swept off a road about a mile south of 340th on Bison in the northwest part of the county.
According to Marion County Sheriff Lee Becker, a grandmother and child were in a GMC Sonoma when high waters swept the vehicle from the road.
A neighbor saw the incident occur, returned to his residence and came back to the scene with an aluminum row boat.
When he returned, the adult and child were forced to move to the bed area of the truck as the front and cab of the truck became submerged in the deep water.
"By 11:01 a.m., the people were rescued," said Becker.
Becker said when he arrived on the scene, the truck was completely submerged.
"I couldn't see the truck at all," he said.
Tampa ambulance and Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks had responded. A LifeTeam helicopter was dispatched to observe the situation from the air but was called back when the rescue occurred.
Water rescue equipment that recently was purchased came in handy Friday night.
Marion Police Officers and Marion County Sheriff's Deputies responded to a call of a mini-van being swept off Sunflower Road.
According to Marion Police Chief Michel Soyez, part-time police officer Jeff Herzet was the first to respond.
"We had an extra shift out Friday night because of Chingawassa Days," Soyez explained. "Herzet was using Soyez's patrol truck that evening."
When Herzet arrived, he found a mini-van with five occupants, four were local teens, in a west ditch near 170th.
"The water was only four inches deep," said Soyez, "but the current was able to sweep the van off the road."
Sheriff's deputy Jeff Soyez arrived in a county SUV.
An officer was tied to a vehicle with a safety line. The officer waded through the water to the vehicle and assisted the occupants to safety.
"During that time, the current caused both vehicles to be swung around in a different direction while parked," said Soyez.
During the 10-minute rescue, the water rose about a foot.
"People sometimes think we buy a lot of equipment we'll never use," Soyez said. "We don't use water rescue equipment very often but when we need it sure makes a difference.
"People need to realize it doesn't take much for there to be danger in crossing a flooded roadway," he concluded.
