Civilians Help Firefighters Rescue Boy From Flood Waters

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Firefighters in Clinton, Iowa rescued a 11-year-old boy from a flooded part of an island on the Mississippi River Tuesday afternoon. A group of children were playing in the area when the boy slipped and was carried downstream by the swift currant. He managed to grab onto a tree while his friends ran for help, according to WHBF-TV.

Willow Island flooded heavily as the river swelled over the weekend. The island is connected to Clinton by a recreational trail, according to Clinton Fire Department Battalion Chief Ken Schumacher.

Two women who were in the area doing work for the city, Sherry Julian and Victoria Lewandowski, heard the children's cries and rushed to help. Julian went into the floodwaters and swam to the child, holding him up out of the water until rescuers arrived, Schumacher told the Clinton Herald. A firefighter with a life jacket pulled Julian and the boy out of the water.

Julian was hired as a temporary city employee and was there completing summer grounds and facilities work. Court records indicate Lewandowski was there completing community service work, according to the Herald.

"They both did something way above and beyond the call of duty," Schumacher said.

After the incident, the fire department asked the city's parks and recreation department to close off the trail to Willow Island. According to Schumacher, city workers arrived almost immediately to put a lock on the gate.

No one was injured, according to the Quad-City Times. Following the accident, the boy was given a ride home and released to his mother.


Author:Barbara Brooks - Fire Department Network News