A heroic, tractor-riding farmer helped rescue a 2-year-old from drowning in a flooded basement during a historic, killer rainfall that ravaged parts of Indiana.
After a 1-in-1,000-year rainfall hit northern Indiana on Wednesday, causing rivers to overflow and floodwater to rush into homes, the Rush County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about the trapped toddler in danger of being overcome by the water.
When emergency crews got to the residence, “they encountered roadways that were impassable,” the sheriff’s office explained in a Friday Facebook post.
That’s where the quick-thinking, and still-unidentified farmer came to the rescue and “responded with a tractor and assisted emergency personnel in reaching the residence,” the sheriff’s office continued.
Lifesaving measures were performed on the child by its mother and rescue workers.
The farmer also used his tractor to transport the child and its family to safety.
The child was airlifted to the hospital, and its condition remains unknown.
“This is a tragic situation. Our thoughts are with the child and the family,” Rush County Sheriff’s Department Detective Randy M. Meek said in a statement, according to ABC7.
“We also appreciate the quick response from emergency personnel and the local farmer who helped reach the residence during the flooding.”
In Delaware County, 19-year-old Matthew Morey is still missing after jumping into the swollen Mississinewa River Wednesday night.
Morey was one of four teenage boys who entered the river from a bridge above. While the other three were rescued, he remains missing.
The search for the teen, who planned on attending Purdue University in the fall, was suspended on Thursday due to the dangerous water levels. His family, friends and neighbors held a prayer vigil for his safe return, according to Star Press.
At least four people have been killed by the storms so far. On Friday, a 58-year-old woman was found dead near her car on a flooded road in Yorktown.
Investigators believe she was trying to drive through water on the road when a strong current swept in, according to Fox59.
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In Portage, 86-year-old Leona Rice was killed in a house explosion believed to have been caused by the storm’s heavy winds
A 4-year-old boy was killed when severe winds caused a tree to fall on a home in Geneva Township in Jennings County.
Authorities have only confirmed that boy’s death as due to the storm, and are working to confirm the others were weather-related, according to ABC.
Due to the dire conditions, Indiana Governor Mike Braun declared a state of emergency on Thursday and mobilized the Indiana National Guard.
He asked President Trump for an emergency declaration, hoping for FEMA’s assistance.
During this week’s rainfall, which is expected to continue into today, Indiana’s White River broke its 1913 flooding record, cresting at over 24.9 feet, over a foot higher than the record set over a century ago.
