Man, two dogs rescued from truck partially submerged in icy river

January 1, 2021January 1, 2021 WKXA

Sublette County Sheriff’s OfficeBy MEREDITH DELISO, ABC News

(NEW YORK) — A driver and his two dogs were rescued from a Wyoming river this week after the man’s pickup truck became partially submerged in the icy water.

The Sublette County Sheriff’s Office released body-camera footage Wednesday of the late-night rescue, which took about 30 minutes from the time the call came in to when the driver was in emergency medical services care, authorities told ABC News.

A crew of first responders, including sheriff’s deputies, EMS, county firefighters and volunteers trained in ice and swift water rescue, arrived on the scene after a nearby homeowner called 911 at around 10 p.m. local time Sunday.

In the footage, a deputy can be heard coaxing the driver onto the bed of his truck.

“Good job. Keep moving towards me,” the deputy can be heard yelling to the driver.

“It’s so cold,” he says after climbing through the window onto the bed.

Deputies and firefighters were able to pull him out of the water using a ladder that extended from the ice on the bank to the bed of the truck, authorities said.

Then, TipTop Search and Rescue (TTSAR) volunteers were able to rescue the two dogs still in the cab after several attempts, authorities said.

Lastly, they pulled the truck out of the water by attaching a winch to the frame, which was submerged by this point, and with the help of a second tow truck.

“Working in zero-degree temperatures with ice and moving water is not something TTSAR does often, but due to their training and teamwork the dedicated volunteers of TTSAR were able to accomplish the mission safely on Christmas weekend,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

The driver, identified as a man in his late 20s, was taken to a local clinic for evaluation. His current condition is not known.

Authorities are investigating how the truck ended up in the river and if factors such as ice were involved. There is a sharp corner near the river, Sublette County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Travis Bingham told ABC News.

“We won’t know more for a little while longer,” he said.

“He is very lucky,” he added.

The truck was partially submerged in Green River near Reardon Draw, which is south of Big Piney in western Wyoming, authorities said.

This is the first water rescue at this spot in the river to Bingham’s knowledge.

“However we are in mountain winter country, and we have had multiple vehicles end up in rivers in all seasons in our county before,” he said.