Another Elam Road Slab Rescue Sunday Afternoon

Jan 04, 2015 at 03:22 pm by bryan


On Sunday afternoon another vehicle was swept off the Elam Road slab that crosses the Stones River. The driver of the pickup was able to get out of the cab and stand in the bed while the Special Operations Response Team (SORT) got in place.

Sheriff Robert Arnold said this was the second time in less than a month that someone has attempted to cross the Elam Road slab when it was covered with rushing water.

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Driver Arrested

18-year old Cole Powers of Woodbury attempted to cross the slab when the swift water floated his pickup into the river. The Petty Gap Road resident was arrested and charged with reckless endangerment. He was booked into the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center where bond was set at $1,500. Powers is scheduled to appear in General Sessions Court on February 26th.

The driver of the pickup told Deputy Michael Parsons that he had no idea that the water was that deep. The deputy indicated that the water was about three-feet deep and moving rapidly.

A female passenger swam to safety. Paramedics from the Rutherford County Emergency Medical Services treated Powers and 21-year old Brentan Mihn at the scene, but they both refused to be taken to the hospital.

SORT Supervisor Adam Rose said the swift water technicians found the driver atop the partially submerged truck. They gave the driver a life jacket and paddled a raft toward him.

"The swift water technicians negotiated the swift water rapids and paddled into the eddy behind the vehicle to rescue the victim," Rose said.

Technicians who rescued Powers were Paramedics Jason Reynolds, Mike Johnson, Philip Nichols, Frank Greene and Cody Smith. Rutherford Fire and Rescue and Kittrell Volunteer Fire Department firefighters helped in the rescue.

Driver May Pay For Rescue

Sheriff Arnold said he was going to try to assess Rutherford County's costs of the rescue to Powers.

Since the first rescue of two children and two adults in December, Sheriff Arnold has talked with several elected officials about addressing the problem of drivers crossing the swift river.

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