JACKSON CO. – An Edinburg man was rescued Saturday from White River near the Bell Ford public access site off State Road 258, south of Seymour.
According to Jackson County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Adam Nicholson, officers responded to the access site after receiving a 911 call around 5:20 p.m. reporting that 23-year-old Dalton James Davis Sawyer of Edinburg had been floating down the river in an innertube with a group of friends when his inner tube became untied from one of the friends’ kayaks.
Approximately 10 minutes had passed before the group noticed Sawyer was not with them.
Deputies Scott Ferguson, Kevin Settle, and Aaron Wilkins responded, along with personnel from the Hamilton Township and Brownstown Fire Departments.
Brownstown Fire Department first responders arrived with the department’s airboat.
Deputies and first responders walked the riverbanks to attempt to locate Sawyer.
Deputy Wilkins spotted something blue in color stuck in a log jam about a quarter-mile north of the public access site. Deputy Settle confirmed with Sawyer’s friends that he had been floating in a blue inner tube.
Brownstown Fire Department personnel in the airboat made their way to the log jam and located Sawyer still in the inner tube, unresponsive.
First responders quickly positioned the airboat beside Sawyer and removed him from the water.
Sawyer gained consciousness and was brought back to the public access site. He was then transferred to the care of Jackson County Emergency Medical Services personnel, who transported Sawyer to Schneck Medical Center for treatment.
Lt. Nicholson reports Sawyer, who suffered no injuries, was treated and released from the hospital.
“If not for the quick response and teamwork from all the agencies involved, the outcome could have been deadly,” Sheriff Rick Meyer said.
