Jackson County departments responded to a water rescue of a man floating in an innertube down the river in the White River near the Bell Ford Public Access Site off State Road 258 on Saturday west of Seymour.
At approximately 5:20 p.m., the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department received a 911 call about the male, later identified as Dalton James David Sawyer, 23, of Edinburgh, according to a news release from public information officer Lt. Adam Nicholson.
The caller advised police that Sawyer had been floating down the river in an innertube with a group of friends and his innertube became untied from one of the friend’s kayaks.
Approximately 10 minutes had passed before the group noticed Sawyer was no longer with them.
County Officers Scott Ferguson, Kevin Settle and Aaron Wilkins responded to the scene along with personnel with the Hamilton Township Fire Department and Brownstown Fire Department.
Brownstown Fire Department responded with their Air Boat for search and rescue, Nicholson said.
The officers and Hamilton Township personnel began walking north along the riverbanks attempting to locate Sawyer.
Wilkins spotted something blue in color stuck in a log jam about 0.25 mile north of the public access site, and Settle was able to confirm from the group of friends that Sawyer had been floating in a blue innertube.
Brownstown Fire Department personnel made their way to the log jam on the airboat and located Sawyer still in the innertube, but he was unresponsive, Nicholson said.
Fire department members quickly positioned the airboat next to Sawyer and removed him from the water.
Sawyer, who became responsive, was brought back to the public access site and transferred to the care of Jackson County Emergency Medical Services personnel who transported Sawyer to Schneck Medical Center for further treatment. Sawyer was treated and released from Schneck Medical with no injuries, Nicholson said.
Sheriff Rick Meyer credited all departments involved.
“If not for the quick response and teamwork from all the agency’s involved the outcome could have been deadly,” Meyer said.