After a rescue boat capsized near a dam on Lake Springfield in Springfield, Missouri, members of the Springfield Fire Department were forced to rappel from a bridge to save a young girl from the raging waters below. The devastating incident claimed the lives of two people, left one person missing, and sent three rescuers to the hospital. Dramatic footage captures the high-risk rescue effort as emergency crews raced against the powerful current.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Two people died, one remains missing and three firefighters were injured after a harrowing rescue operation unfolded at Lake Springfield in Missouri on Sunday as the state recovers from a weekend of severe storms.
Dramatic video footage captures the moment members of a water rescue team responded to the Lake Springfield dam on Sunday, June 14, after four people were swept over the structure, prompting the urgent rescue operation.
A first responder rappelled down from the roadway above—which also serves as the dam for Lake Springfield—to reach a stranded woman and bring her safely back to the road.
(Colton Warner)
The tense footage shows a young girl, 12-year-old Aurelie Stawny, stranded below the dam as rescuers battle strong currents in an effort to reach her. As a rescue boat approached the dam, it capsized in the turbulent water, leaving first responders struggling against dangerous conditions during the high-stakes operation.
2 COLLEGE STUDENTS KILLED AFTER BEING SWEPT INTO OCEAN AMID POWERFUL SURF AT CALIFORNIA BEACH
A rescuer was eventually lowered by rope from South Farm Road 169, which serves as the dam for the 220-acre Lake Springfield, before ascending back to safety with the 12-year-old girl. Aurelie was transported to the hospital and has since been released, according to the Springfield Fire Department.
The young girl was rescued, while two victims have been recovered dead and one is still missing, who police identified as 40-year-old Taylor Stawny.
On June 16, search teams located the body of 19-year-old Andrea Stawny approximately a quarter of a mile downriver from the dam. The next day, search teams located the body of 17-year-old Sofie Stawny near the dam.
According to the Springfield Fire Department, it was determined that the group were on the water with a kayak and two inflatable tubes that were connected at the time of the incident.
Water rescue personnel stabilize the victim before she is hoisted to safety on the roadway above.
(Colton Warner)
In the tense rescue operation, water rescue personnel aboard a rescue boat battled strong currents near the dam on Lake Springfield.
Video captured by a bystander shows the harrowing moments when the rescue boat capsized in the rushing water.
TRAGIC FLOODING: FLOODWATERS WIPE OUT MISSISSIPPI WOMAN’S ENTIRE CHICKEN FLOCK
According to the Springfield Fire Department, three rescuers were injured and transported to a hospital following the incident. All three firefighters have since been released.
A Springfield Fire Department water rescue team responded to the dam at Lake Springfield on Sunday, June 14, where a female victim was stranded in dangerous conditions. Three firefighters were injured during the rescue operation after crews were dispatched to assist four people in distress. One female was rescued alive, two bodies have been recovered, and one person remains missing as search efforts continue.
The footage, filmed from the Tailwaters Access area below the dam, captures the dramatic rescue effort as first responders navigated dangerous conditions near the dam before the boat overturned.
14 SAVED FROM FLOODED ALABAMA CAVES DURING FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCY
The rescue unfolded just as southwest Missouri was recovering from a weekend of severe storms and flooding that brought heavy rainfall to the region.
Sunday’s harrowing rescue unfolded near the dam beneath South Farm Road 169 in Springfield, Missouri. Dramatic footage of the breathtaking rescue was captured from the Tailwaters Access area adjacent to the dam.
(Google Maps)
The rescue included over 30 members of the Springfield Fire Department, as well as approximately 25 other responders from outside agencies.
“I am proud of the response by our Water Rescue Team and members of the fire department to this tragic incident, and thankful that all of our firefighters are safe and on the path to recovery from their injuries,” Fire Chief David Pennington said.
FIREFIGHTERS USE RESCUE BOATS TO SAVE 15 CAMPERS STRANDED IN FAST-RISING FLOODWATERS
After days of searching for the missing victims, as of 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, two of the three missing victims have been located amid an extensive, multi-day search and rescue operation that included dive teams, droves, foot search teams, volunteer K9s and more.
The rushing waters of Lake Springfield proved as dangerous as they were unforgiving during a challenging rescue operation in Missouri. Two people were killed, one remains missing, and three rescuers were injured as first responders battled powerful currents in an effort to save those in distress.
(Colton Warner)
“I have the utmost respect for the men and women of the Springfield Fire Department, who courageously ran toward danger to save lives,” Mayor Jeff Schrag said. “Sunday’s water rescue operation at Lake Springfield was heroic. We all owe our water rescue team and those supporting them a huge debt of gratitude. We wish those injured a quick recovery.”
The search for the remaining victim is expected to continue throughout the day Wednesday.
