Palmer Police Respond to Swift Water Rescue Saturday Night, One Fatality Due To Floodwaters

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crime scene tape at night
Photo credit Palmer Police Department

Palmer Police Rescue Family From Floodwaters

From Palmer Police Department: Around 8:57 pm on May 22, 2021, Palmer police received a call for service regarding a male, female, and infant trapped in swift floodwaters just south of the 258-mile marker on the service road. They were all on the roof of the vehicle awaiting help. With the assistance of Ennis Fire Rescue T191, the family was brought to safety without injuries.

During the rescue at 9:25 pm, a Palmer police officer called over the radio that another vehicle attempted to drive through the swift water and the currents swept it away. The water carried the vehicle from the west side of IH45 to the east side of IH45 in less than 30 seconds. The fire department made the scene at the north service road and located the vehicle completely submerged underwater. Because of the strength of the currents, an attempt to pull out any possible occupants was not achieved. A plan was to wait for the water to dissipate before any action was attempted.

The Palmer Police Department called Midlothian Police Department and asked for their assistance with a drone and Red Oak Fire Department provided a swift water boat. We are sorry to report the sole occupant of the vehicle, the driver, was deceased approximately 60 yards away on the east side of the northbound service road at 12:12 pm. The occupant was a 67-year-old male from Red Oak, Texas.

We would like to thank all agencies that responded and assisted us with this incident.

With more rain in the forecast and river levels high from recent rains, more flooding is possible. Please use caution when driving on wet roadways and if there’s water on the road, turn around-don’t drown.