Decatur firefighters rescue children from flood waters

Published 12:00 am Thursday, May 27, 2004

DECATUR TOWNSHIP - Three children have no doubt learned a lesson about the danger of playing around floodwaters - and the kindness and heroism of local firefighters.

Wednesday night, Decatur firefighter Garold Cox Jr. and fire department president Matthew Jenkins rescued two boys and a girl who were playing in the creek along State Route 93 and were sucked into the stream by rising flood waters.

"We were out in the truck checking the high water and we saw these kids playing around the creek. We stopped to tell them not to do it and just as we stopped the truck one of the boys got sucked in,"Jenkins said.

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The boy, whom Jenkins estimated to be 6 or 8 years old, was swept downstream 35 to 40 yards and under two driveway bridges before Cox and Jenkins pulled him to safety.

The second boy, estimated to be 10 or 12 years old, apparently jumped into the flood waters to try and rescue the first boy and had to be pulled to safety by the two firefighters as well, Jenkins said.

Both boys were actually submerged under the water during their ordeals, he said.

Jenkins said once the two boys were pulled to safety, he and Cox noticed the girl had also been sucked into the water and was pinned underneath a bridge.

Jenkins said none of the three children were injured. The names of the children were not immediately available.

High water is a common sight in many areas of the county after several days of rain. More rain is expected today as well.

According to the Ironton post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, no state roads have been closed because of high water.

American Red Cross Lawrence County Coordinator Annabelle Jenkins said she has received no reports of high water damaging houses at this time.