Rushing waters and flooded cornfields may seem like prime kayaking conditions – but for one couple, the mix was almost deadly.
The pair were kayaking in a flooded cornfield near Orchard Road and County Road 400 in Spencer County, when the husband’s boat was sucked into a culvert.
He was able to catch himself before going under – but only enough to keep his head above water.
Luckily for him, Indiana State Trooper Kaitlyn Greene was patrolling nearby, and his wife flagged her down.
“Water’s not a forgiving thing, so at that point, he was getting tired, his face was getting a little blue, you could tell he was worn out,” she says.
Greene quickly sprung into action and tied a rope around the victim.
“He was trying to stand up but his feet just kept slipping and the water kept pushing his legs and told him to hold on,” she says.
The man was holding on to the pipe and holding his head above water, while his legs were in the pipe. If he had let go, he would’ve come out the other side.
“He knew that he had to come out that way and not under the road.”
With the help of two bystanders, Greene pulled the man to safety.
Greene says that as part of the dive team, she’s used to recovery operations. She’s glad this one had a happy ending.
“It was great to be able to send him home to his family, alive and happy,” she says.
She tells us the couple even got their boats back.
As for anyone else itching to get out on the water – she has some advice.
“I would wait until summer….and I wouldn’t’t do it in flood water.”
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(This story was originally published on February 28, 2018)
