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Police pluck man from Turtle Creek
By Ashley Rhodebeck
Daily News staff writer
Emergency crews from almost 10 agencies saturated the area around Turtle Creek in eastern Rock County Friday afternoon, searching for a Delavan man stranded in higher-than-normal water.
After at least 90 minutes, 35-year-old James A. Hayden was pulled breathing but unconscious from the swiftly moving creek in Bradford Township near Highway 140. He was flown to Rockford Memorial Hospital, where he was listed in good condition late that night.
Hayden called 911 on his cell phone just before 4 p.m. once his inflatable six-by-three-foot raft began failing just west of the Walworth County line, said Rock County Sheriff Sgt. Ken Marquardt.
Hayden guessed he was near Tiffany, so the Turtle and Clinton fire departments arrived and placed a boat in that location. Not finding him, searchers expanded their search to the east.
Mike Dieckhoff, a warden for the DNR, also tracked the man on foot as he floated about 3.5 to four miles along the curvy creek but eventually had to seek medical attention for dehydration and heat exhaustion, Marquardt said, adding Dieckhoff was listed in good condition late Friday.
The initial responders weren't enough, though. Dispatch called for backup after the officials scoured the creek for nearly 50 minutes.
Responders included the Rock County Sheriff Water Rescue, Clinton, Beloit Township, Beloit and a REACT medical helicopter, Marquardt said, noting high water levels allowed officials to launch two small motor boats and an airboat into the creek.
Finding Hayden's precise location proved difficult even though officials spoke with him by phone for what Marquardt described as “quite a length of time.” Clutching a colored map of the area and pointing to the thin blue line representing Turtle Creek, Marquardt said, “You try to get a description of all that winding and turning.”
About 5 p.m., Beloit resident Carter Shores, 47, spotted Hayden near the Carvers Rock Road bridge, but 25 minutes later emergency crews remained on the tree-lined road, which a Clinton police car blocked at its intersection with East Creek Road, turning away several vehicles wanting to get through.
At 5:34 p.m. the distant sound of sirens rang out and soon an ambulance from Clinton sped through the intersection's stop sign and hurtled past the squad car.
Hayden had been rescued.
A Rock County sheriff sergeant reached Hayden after launching a Rock County airboat from one of the creek's few access points. The boat traveled downstream, where the officer found Hayden lying unconscious on his back. With Shores' help, the officer pulled Hayden to a remote section of shoreline about a quarter mile west of the bridge, Marquardt said.
The airboat transported Hayden to medical staff at the bridge, and he was flown to Rockford Memorial Hospital for heat exposure and minor injuries; he injured his arm when grabbing for tree branches in an attempt to stop, Marquardt said.
Hayden had a personal flotation device and paddle but heat and alcohol were factors in his distress, Marquardt said, and no further investigation is anticipated.
Police pluck man from Turtle Creek
By Ashley Rhodebeck
Daily News staff writer
Emergency crews from almost 10 agencies saturated the area around Turtle Creek in eastern Rock County Friday afternoon, searching for a Delavan man stranded in higher-than-normal water.
After at least 90 minutes, 35-year-old James A. Hayden was pulled breathing but unconscious from the swiftly moving creek in Bradford Township near Highway 140. He was flown to Rockford Memorial Hospital, where he was listed in good condition late that night.
Hayden called 911 on his cell phone just before 4 p.m. once his inflatable six-by-three-foot raft began failing just west of the Walworth County line, said Rock County Sheriff Sgt. Ken Marquardt.
Hayden guessed he was near Tiffany, so the Turtle and Clinton fire departments arrived and placed a boat in that location. Not finding him, searchers expanded their search to the east.
Mike Dieckhoff, a warden for the DNR, also tracked the man on foot as he floated about 3.5 to four miles along the curvy creek but eventually had to seek medical attention for dehydration and heat exhaustion, Marquardt said, adding Dieckhoff was listed in good condition late Friday.
The initial responders weren't enough, though. Dispatch called for backup after the officials scoured the creek for nearly 50 minutes.
Responders included the Rock County Sheriff Water Rescue, Clinton, Beloit Township, Beloit and a REACT medical helicopter, Marquardt said, noting high water levels allowed officials to launch two small motor boats and an airboat into the creek.
Finding Hayden's precise location proved difficult even though officials spoke with him by phone for what Marquardt described as “quite a length of time.” Clutching a colored map of the area and pointing to the thin blue line representing Turtle Creek, Marquardt said, “You try to get a description of all that winding and turning.”
About 5 p.m., Beloit resident Carter Shores, 47, spotted Hayden near the Carvers Rock Road bridge, but 25 minutes later emergency crews remained on the tree-lined road, which a Clinton police car blocked at its intersection with East Creek Road, turning away several vehicles wanting to get through.
At 5:34 p.m. the distant sound of sirens rang out and soon an ambulance from Clinton sped through the intersection's stop sign and hurtled past the squad car.
Hayden had been rescued.
A Rock County sheriff sergeant reached Hayden after launching a Rock County airboat from one of the creek's few access points. The boat traveled downstream, where the officer found Hayden lying unconscious on his back. With Shores' help, the officer pulled Hayden to a remote section of shoreline about a quarter mile west of the bridge, Marquardt said.
The airboat transported Hayden to medical staff at the bridge, and he was flown to Rockford Memorial Hospital for heat exposure and minor injuries; he injured his arm when grabbing for tree branches in an attempt to stop, Marquardt said.
Hayden had a personal flotation device and paddle but heat and alcohol were factors in his distress, Marquardt said, and no further investigation is anticipated.