On Monday June 16, 2003, at approximately 1030 P.M., The Lafayette Township Vol. Fire Department received an alarm for a car upside down in a ditch with people trapped inside in the 3400 blk of Paoli Pike which was full of water from a torrential downpour.
Units arriving on the scene found no car visible. Witnesses stated that the car went down stream and went into a concrete culvert. The car was found indeed inside the culvert about 100 yards from the entry point.
Swift water rescue personnel from the fire department went into the culvert to check for a single occupant. Upon arriving they found a small car upside down in the culvert wedged at a 45 degree angle and could not observe any occupants.
Heavy construction equipment was called in to break through the concrete to gain access to the car. Swift water rescue personnel then reentered the culvert to check for occupants and were unable to see inside the car.
A local towing company was on the scene and winched the car toward the hole and then the heavy construction equipment hoisted the car out of the hole. Upon checking the car, officials found it was unoccupied. Search dogs were called in from Jefferson County Kentucky's search and rescue team to search for the occupant.
Fire units doing a check from the road did locate the occupant about a half-mile down stream from where the car was located, he was in the water entangled in some trees. At this time the mode was changed to a body recovery.
Units from Lafayette Township on the scene were E-11 Rescue 1 Brush 25 in the command of 1102, Georgetown Vol. Fire Department was called in to assist, their units were Rescue 2 and Squad 23 and Command Vehicle 1202, Yellow Ambulance Squad 76 assisted along with units from the Floyd County Sheriff's Department and Coroners Office. Total time of operation was 5 hours.
