3 Rescued After SUV Swept Half Mile Downstream By Flash Floodwaters In Indiana

Three people were rescued after their SUV was carried off a roadway by flash floodwaters in Ripley County, Indiana, leaving the occupants drifting roughly half a mile downstream while they held on and called for help.

Rescue divers responded to the scene and used safety lines to reach the stranded occupants. Each person was brought out one at a time, fitted with safety equipment, and guided toward the edge of a fast moving creek.

Authorities said the decision to drive into rapidly rising floodwaters quickly became dangerous as conditions worsened.

Indiana State Police Sergeant Stephen Wheeles noted the severity of the situation, saying the creek was heavily swollen due to significant rainfall.

Rescue teams later located the SUV stuck on a sandbar in the creek. The vehicle could not be reached by boat due to the extreme conditions, requiring divers to make direct contact with the occupants.

Officials confirmed that all three adults inside the vehicle, including a high school senior, were safely extracted and brought to shore by certified rescue divers using safety lines.

Wheeles said the vehicle had become lodged on an obstruction in the creek, which kept it in place long enough for rescuers to reach those inside.

All three individuals were rescued safely, shaken but without injuries.

The Ripley County Sheriff’s Department stated that the SUV remains in the creek about half a mile downstream and will only be recovered once water levels drop.