Five people rescued after SUV is submerged in Jackson County

Jackson County authorities rescued four people who spent the night outside in floodwaters in the northwestern part of the county.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department says that five people were in an SUV driving at about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday when the vehicle became stuck in floodwaters in the 10000 block of North County Road 1190 West, just north of Robertson Cemetery. As floodwater made its way into the vehicle, all five got out of the SUV and sat on the roof. The group had no cellphone coverage and limited battery power on their phones. After a short time, one of the men left to search for help.

He showed up at a home about 1.5 miles south of the vehicle shortly before 8:15 a.m. Wednesday. The man told authorities that he had been searching for help since 6:30 p.m. the previous day.

Authorities converged on the submerged vehicle to find no one at the scene. The Sheriff’s Department used a drone to make sure there was no one in or around the SUV. A short time later, a 911 call came in from one of the missing women. She advised that the four people in her group burnt purses and other items throughout the night to stay warm. At around 7 a.m. Wednesday, the group left the SUV and walked north as flood waters were rising.

Emergency officials were able to locate the woman’s cell signal, placing her a quarter-mile north of the officers’ location. The missing four were rescued moments later. All five were taken to Schneck Medical Center for symptoms of Hypothermia. All were later released.