Water rescue team saves flash flood victim
SLIPPERY ROCK TWP — Ice floating around Wolf Creek began breaking Thursday afternoon, causing water from the stream to quickly pool around an area woman and her two dogs who were on a walk on Miller Woods Trail.
The Butler County Water Rescue Team 300 was deployed to the scene and used utility terrain vehicles and a rescue boat to locate the woman and her dogs and bring them to safety.
Slippery Rock Volunteer Fire Company chief Ryan Hanchosky said emergency responders were able to locate the woman on a small island surrounded by knee- to chest-deep water about a mile into the trail.
The Water Rescue Team used a rescue boat to float her from the island back to solid ground. The woman was uninjured.
“What happened was the ice broke and pushed the water out and formed a new waterway,” Hanchosky said. “She was never in the water, but she said it was about knee deep.”
The stranded woman’s mother came to the trail because she was the first person notified that the woman was in trouble. The mother said her daughter told her she was surrounded by water on all sides and didn’t know what to do. Her mother said she should call 911.
Hanchosky said after crews located the woman, they provided her with warm clothing. Around 6 p.m., the woman was taken by boat back onto the trail.
In addition to the Slippery Rock VFC and the Water Rescue Team, Unionville VFC and the Pine Township VFC responded to the scene.
