Wilmington, IL – A driver was rescued from a vehicle submerged on its roof in the Kankakee River early Monday morning in Wilmington, prompting a large emergency response from multiple fire districts.
According to the Wilmington Fire Protection District, the incident occurred near the Water Treatment Plant on Widows Road around 4:30 a.m. on Memorial Day. While Wilmington fire crews were responding to a separate structure fire nearby, they received a call reporting a vehicle had gone off an embankment and into the river.
Channahon and Elwood Fire Districts, who were covering calls during the fire, joined Wilmington responders at the riverbank. Fire personnel found the vehicle with significant damage resting upside down at the water’s edge. Firefighters descended the embankment and located a single occupant still inside.
The MABAS Division 15 Water Rescue Team was also called to the scene. Additional emergency personnel used extrication tools to open the damaged vehicle and remove the individual, who was then assisted back up the embankment to a waiting ambulance.
The patient was transported to Riverside Hospital in Kankakee for further treatment. The Wilmington Emergency Services and Disaster Agency (ESDA) and fire personnel remained on site to assist with vehicle recovery efforts.
The cause of the crash has not yet been determined. No additional injuries were reported.
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