Woman saved from Stark County flood

WAYNESBURG, Ohio (WJW) – Flooding created a dangerous situation in low lying areas of Stark County Friday morning.

Authorities say after Sandy Creek overflowed its banks in the village of Waynesburg, roads around the village were flooded. After a woman tried to drive through the high water, her SUV was swept away and began sinking.

After the victim called 911, firefighters with Mohawk Valley Joint Fire District responded and were able to locate the submerged SUV, but could not find the woman.

“It turns out she got out of her car, swam over to what she thought was an island in the 34 degree swift water and she was standing on ice. She broke through the ice and then that’s all the further she could go,” Fire Chief Jim Marraccini told FOX 8.

The victim was unable to tell authorities exactly where she was in the water, but dispatchers were able to use the latest technology to pinpoint her location through the GPS in her phone and then relay that information to the firefighters.

Rescuers borrowed a small boat and used spotlights to find the woman on a patch of ice in the middle of the floodwaters.

She was suffering from hypothermia and was taken by life squad to Aultman Hospital in Canton.

The fire chief is convinced that the actions of 911 dispatchers and firefighters saved her life. 

“We threw a life line to her, she could not even grab it. She was so cold, her limbs were so cold, she couldn’t grab it,” he said. “By the grace of God, she had her phone with her and she was able to make contact. If not, no one probably would have known she was there.”

The chief says the story provides a powerful lesson for all drivers. 

“Never, never drive in a flooded area,” he said. “All you have to do is fall off the edge of the road because you can’t see the road, you end up in a ditch. The next thing you know, the water is flowing into your automobile and there you are, stranded.”