Courtesy of the Franklin Police Department
FRANKLIN, Wis. - Crews rescued a teenage boy from the flood-swollen Root River in Franklin on Sunday, Aug. 10.
What we know:
The Franklin Fire Department said the Franklin 911 Dispatch Center received a call at around 4:27 p.m. reporting a missing person in the river near the Oak Leaf Trail.
Franklin police and fire crews responded, along with mutual aid from the Greendale and Greenfield fire departments and the Greenfield Police Department’s drone unit.
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Heavy rain and flooding in the past 24 hours had pushed the river over its banks and across Drexel Avenue. The road was closed and barricaded.
Southeast Wisconsin severe flooding, officials provide update
Flooding is impacting several counties in southeast Wisconsin on Sunday morning.
Witnesses reported seeing the boy in the water before losing sight of him.
Dig deeper:
First responders located the teen about 100 yards downstream, clinging to a tree branch and standing on a submerged log. Crews maintained voice contact to keep him calm while Franklin’s dive rescue team launched an inflatable Zodiac boat.
Despite the strong current, rescuers were able to pull him safely to shore.
Courtesy of the Franklin Police Department
The teen told rescuers no one else was in the water. He was treated at the scene by paramedics, reunited with his family and transported to the hospital for evaluation.
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No injuries to first responders were reported.
What you can do:
Officials urged residents to avoid floodwaters, noting that six inches of moving water can knock an adult off their feet and two feet can sweep away most vehicles.
For more on flood safety, visit www.weather.gov/safety/flood.
The Source: The Franklin Fire Department provided information.