Water rushed around the car. Swirling past windows. Shoving door panels.
As John Buck cleared the cobwebs and looked around he was glad to see it was intact and the rest of his family was getting their bearings, too.
"Hey guys! We need a plan," John didn't yell, but spoke over the rumble of water and creaking from the car. "It looks like the water is rising. Is everyone OK? How about you, Jack, are you with me?"
Jack was doing a personal inventory when he heard his dad's voice. He knew he was bruised, but thought everything was in working order. "Yeah, Dad. I'm here." He nudged his sister, Terry, who was beginning to stir. It looked like her head hit the door's window pretty hard.
"Dad, Terry needs some help, she's starting to wake up a little bit."
"Honey?" John ran his hand over his wife's cheek. Her eyes flickered before opening. She was awake, but not with it. Both Diane and Terry sat on the same of the car, both took blows to the head.
"Jack, do you have a signal on your phone?"
"I have three bars, Dad."
"OK, my phone fell under the seat when we crashed. Call 9-1-1 and tell them we are on the east side of Rose River in the north ditch on Glenn's Crossing."
"Got it, Dad."
"Hi, I'm Jack Buck. We had an accident. Our car is in the ditch near the Rose River on the east side. Water is rising and Mom and Terry are hurt."
"OK, Jack," replied the dispatcher, "we have a rescue squad looking for you and is heading your way. Try to keep this line open, I'll be right here if you need me."
John heard the siren, then saw a beam of light sweep across the car before coming to rest on the driver's door. He thought he heard something and awkwardly turned to see what it was. In the ditch were six guys in fire department turn-out gear and four more getting a rescue boat in the water.
The car's battery died as the water rose under the engine. That kept him from rolling down the window. The water was only half-way up his door, but John could see it lapping at the glass on the other side of the car.
Jack held his sister's hand as he watched the two rescuers in the boat. As they came alongside the car, one of them got out, standing waist deep in the murky water. He balanced the boat and held it in place.
Jacob looked inside and saw Jack. He remembered him as a little boy coming to Marberg Implement with his dad from time to time. John and Jacob have worked together for years. Jack wasn't little anymore. Then Jacob noticed the half conscious young woman leaning against the window in front of him. Carefully, Jacob made his way around the car.
"Jack, I'm going to open your door. When I do, water is going to rush inside. Tell Terry and your mom so they are prepared. Are you OK? Can you walk?"
Jack nodded.
"Great. I'll help you out when the door opens and we'll get a rope around you. The current is fast and it's going to rise a lot more here real soon. Once you got out, I'll get your sister, OK?"
Jack gave him a thumbs-up; hoping he looked more confident than he felt.
At the driver's door, Ron rapped on the window. "John, we don't have a lot of time. Are you OK to walk?"
John looked at him while doing another self-assessment. "Yeah, I think so."
"Good, We're going to try the same thing. I'll open your door, get a harness on you and help you out. As you get to shore, I'll get Diane."
Father, like son, gave a thumbs-up.
The doors opened. Like a well-practiced machine, Ron and Jacob wrapped the harnesses around the waists of Jack and John and helped them into the water. Once they were OK, two rescuers from shore were at the sides of the two Buck men and slowly waded to safety.
"Terry? I'm Jacob. We're going to get you outta here. Before I can move you I need to check you real quick, OK?"
Terry nodded, her eyes closed. "Alright, Terry. This may hurt a little, but we need to get you out of this car. I'm unfastening your seat belt. Then we'll turn you so you are laying on the seat with your head toward this door. Next, I'll put my hands under your arms and get you in our boat. As we get you out of the car you'll feel more hands helping you. You don't have to do anything. Let us do the work."
In the family tradition, Terry gave a weaker thumbs-up to their neighbor.
In the front seat, Ron had climbed in to check Diane and let her know the plan. She was in and out of consciousness and her pulse was weaker than it should be. There was no outward sign of trauma other than a growing bump on her right temple.
"Diane, we're sliding in a backboard across the seat and center console. I'll help you move around and we'll get you on this board and out. OK?"
Diane nodded.
Slowly, but with purpose, four volunteer fire fighters got the women into the boat. Once in, rescuers on shore pulled it to land as the firefighters walked slowly alongside to keep it steady.
On shore, John and Jack watched anxiously. They knew the men and women doing the rescue and how much time they spent in the station and practicing for moments like this. An ambulance pulled up with lights flashing as the boat reached land.
Two more teams of six came down to carry Diane and Terry to the waiting ambulance.
Ron and Jacob stayed behind to guide John and Jack up the hill toward the Rescue truck where they could be checked out. Both seemed to be fine for now, but John was going to get a black eye and Jack may have hurt his ankle. The Buck men were more concerned about the rest of the family and determined to ride with them to the hospital.
After the women were stabilized, they were placed in the ambulance with Jack and John riding shotgun. A medic rode in back. As the ambulance drove away, Ron and Jacob returned to the rushing water to put a hook under the backside of the car so the tow truck arrived could pull it out of the muck and mire.
Sheriff Stearns was at the station when he heard the Buck family was found and out of their car as the raging Rose River climbed out of its banks. He couldn't identify the family yet, but he gave the basic information on the rescue to Pete and a rapt audience listening in across the valley.
"That's one, Sheriff, and great news. Any word on the second missing car?" Pete asked.
"Well, Pete, we've got a lot of people looking. As soon as I hear something I'll let you know. In the meantime, I'd like to remind everyone to please stay home. If it's not safe where you are, call 9-1-1 and someone will be there to help."
"Thanks, Sheriff," Pete said as he looked quickly at the radar and the updated forecast. "Kevin, it seems the storm has passed. What can you tell us about flooding?"
"People in low-laying areas prone to flooding should be seeking high ground if they haven't already. According to the National Weather Service, the water will peak around 1 a.m. and then start to slowly recede. If you see standing water in roadways - don't drive into the water. It only takes two feet of water to float a large vehicle and six inches of fast moving water can knock a person over. Be careful out there, and stay tuned."
On the west side of the Rose River, Roseville Police Chief Parrot was driving down a road that came to a dead-end at the river. He guessed the missing car cleared the bridge and headed home to one of the new McMansions or old riverside cottages built on the shore.
He was pulling the car around when the headlights washed over something.
It was a set of taillights. As the Chief backed up, he saw skid marks on the pavement and tracks across the lawn. He picked up his radio to call it in and ask for help. Then he got out.
As the Chief got closer he heard something, it sounded like voices. He ran to the shore and shined his flashlight into the car. Four people inside, only two heads moving.
The back half of the car was still out of the water. Inside sat Barb and Tonya Bauer. When the Chief opened the door, it surprised them so much they screamed. Still, no movement in the front seat.
"Ladies, I'm Chief Parrot. Are you OK? I want you to get out of the car - rescuers are on the way to help the guys in front."
"Hi Chief. I'm Barb Bauer, this is my daughter Tonya. We seem to fine, just shaken up a bit. My son Jake is behind the wheel and his dad, George is in the passenger seat. They haven't said anything since the crash."
"Alright, Barb, thank you. That's helpful information. Let's get you to safety. Once you are out of the car, please get in the back seat of my squad car. I'll get an update on the guy's conditions to you as soon as I can after the EMT's arrive."
Tonya and Barb slid out the driver's side passenger door and walked arm in arm to the car.
As they did, two fire trucks pulled up on either side of the squad car and eight first - responders got out and grabbed their gear. One headed for the police car to check on the women while the rest headed to the partially submerged car.
Chief Parrot told Captain Clark as he walked up, that the shoreline falls away quickly from where they were standing and the car was balanced somewhat precariously. The Captain instructed his crew to secure the car to their trucks as he radioed for the department's large tanker with the front mounted winch.
Once tied off, a young EMT crawled in the backseat and started getting the vital signs on each man. The radio traffic to the hospital crackled over the Captain's radio.
"I have two males, both unconscious. The driver, a young male, age 20 or 21, has a large gash over his right eye and lacerations below the waist where it appears some of the engine was pushed into the car's cabin. His breathing is ragged and blood pressure is 90 over 60. The male passenger is in his late 40s. No apparent injuries, but unconscious and a very weak pulse. The position of the car makes it difficult to assess either man easily and extraction can't happen until the car is pulled back from the edge."
"Jason, this is the Captain. Hang on, the tanker just arrived. We're going to get the winch on the car and pull it back. Are you able to secure the injured in their seats so we can move the car?"
"Roger that Captain, and hurry. These guys need to get to the hospital."
A couple crewmen moved the fire trucks and squad car so the tanker could pull in. As they got into position, two ambulances drove up.
"Jason, I need you to get out, while we move the car."
"Captain, I'm sorry, sir. I think I better stay with these men, the older one is starting to wake up."
"OK, that's your call. You are on the scene. Make sure you secure yourself and I'll warn you before we start moving the car."
The winch was secured and pulled tight before the ropes were loosened.
"Alright, Jason, hold on. We're pulling you back."
The winch creaked to life pulling the Pontiac Montana inch by inch. Five minutes later, all four wheels were on solid ground.
Emergency Medical Technicians got in both sides of the front seat and attended to the two crash victims.
Jake Bauer, at home after his first college semester, was a mess. His legs bloody. Encased in blood was the jagged end of his right femur. Jason radioed the information to the hospital and received the recommended medication to minimize the pain. Jake started to stir and was in obvious pain before the first intravenous drip started.
Meanwhile, George was slowly waking up. As he was laid out on the stretcher he began to feel more comfortable and his breathing resumed a more normal rhythm. His pulse was still weak, so he was prepared for travel, loaded on the ambulance, and rushed to hospital.
It took longer to get Jake stabilized. When he was ready, his mom jumped in the back with him for the trip into town. Tonya had gone ahead with her dad's ambulance, riding up front.
"Alright, Chief. Good work - we can work on the cause of the accident starting tomorrow. Right now, get the scene squared away, and head back to the station."
Sheriff Stearns hung up the phone. Before he gave the information to Pete, he wanted to talk to Emjay.
The intern looked exhausted. She was sitting by the board looking at the computer screen with a blank look. The Sheriff knew he had to tell her before it went on air, but it wasn't going to be easy.
"Emjay, I have bad news. That first accident tonight involved the Buck family. It looks like everyone will be fine, but Diane will be in the hospital overnight. The second accident involved Jake Bauer and his family..."
Emjay crumpled. She and Jake had been dating since their junior year in high school. They weren't engaged, but everyone in town knew it was a matter of time.
"Jake's Dad was taken to the hospital. It sounds like he may have some heart damage, but he's stable and the doctors are taking care of him. Barb and Tonya are shaken up, but doing fine.
"Jake should be OK, but he suffered a compound fracture of his right leg. He's going into surgery. After we finish this next news spot, I'll drive you over there myself. Pete can run the board and Kevin will do weather updates until the storm is completely over. Are you OK?"
Wiping her eyes, Emjay took several deep breaths and sobbed quietly. "Thanks, sheriff. I'll wait in the break room."
The sheriff returned to the studio where Pete had gotten behind the board. Stearns slumped into the chair opposite him, took a sip of coffee, and nodded.
"Good evening, I'm Pete Moss with Sheriff Stearns, we have an update now on tonight's storm and the damage left in its wake."
Return for Chapter 6 this afternoon at 3 CDT.
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