Photo: Courtesy of Ozark County Times.
Three people, including a six-month-old baby, are hospitalized and being treated for hypothermia after being swept off a low water crossing in Ozark County Thursday morning. They spent several hours in wet clothes in sub-freezing temperatures, after escaping their vehicle and swimming to safety. The names of the three have not been released.
The Ozark County Times reports the man, woman and baby were traveling on County Road 863 at Haskins Ford, just north of Isabella, attempting to cross the Little North Fork River, when their vehicle was swept away by the high water.
The baby was strapped in its car seat in the back of the vehicle. The man and woman were able to free the baby as the car was quickly filling up with water, and then escaped the vehicle and swam to the shore on the south side of the river.
The couple saw lights on the north side of the river, so the man swam back across,but when he got out of the water, he was disabled by the cold and could not walk.
It was about three hours later when a farmer checking on his cattle spotted the man and called for help. Thornfield first responders arrived to tend to the man, while first responders were dispatched from Theodosia to assist the woman and baby on the other side of the river.
The woman and baby were both flown to hospitals in Springfield, while the man was taken by ground ambulance to a Springfield hospital. No condition reports are available.
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