Men cling to tree for their lives for hours after getting caught in flood

CARROLL COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) - Two men are lucky to be alive after emergency crews rescued them from the Wildcat Creek flood waters Tuesday morning.

According to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, at 8:52 a.m. Tuesday, 19-year-old Rossville man Parker Ware made a 911 call.

Ware said he and another man, 23-year-old Rossville resident Robert Holland, had been driving on County Road 500 South just west of Cutler when they came upon a portion of the road that had been flooded by the swollen waters of Wildcat Creek.

Ware said the two men had felt they could safely travel through the patch of water. As they moved forward, the car they were in was swept off the road and into a ditch on the north side of the road.

Ware and Holland were able to climb to safety in a nearby tree close to where the car was submerged in the ditch. Ware told investigators they remained clinging to the tree for several hours before he was able to climb down and walk to a home roughly one mile away to get help. Holland remained in the tree.

Democrat Township/Cutler Fire and Rescue was dispatched to the tree where Holland was still waiting and were able to rescue him.

Both men were transported to IU Health Arnett Hospital in Lafayette with injuries related to the extended exposure to the cold and the chilling waters.

Officials want to remind drivers, if you encounter a flooded roadway, do not attempt to cross it, as sudden hidden undercurrents can exist and lead to an incident just like this one.