First responders pulled a teen from a submerged cistern after a pickup truck crashed into a man-made water-filled hole near Herington Lake. The Herington Fire Department was dispatched at 12:24 p.m. Saturday after a fisherman called 911, reporting he heard a vehicle accident but did not know the location. Help was heard from the west side of the lake.
On scene near the spillway at 500 Ave. B, firefighters found the vehicle about 30 feet from the road with the lone occupant floating on a spare tire, just able to touch the truck bed. Because the water depth was unknown and the vehicle was still sinking, the response was upgraded to a high-angle rescue. Herington crews threw a life vest and used a rescue sling with rope, then lowered a 35-foot ladder into the cistern to reach and remove the victim. The teen was turned over to DKEMS and transported for injuries.
Crews later returned to remove the truck. After deciding to wait until daylight, divers and support teams from multiple Kansas agencies coordinated at the site, cleared brush, set up a rope system, and rigged the vehicle. Salina Wrecker used a 50-ton sliding rotator to lift the truck from the cistern; the removal operation was completed in 1 hour and 55 minutes. Herington Fire Department credited the responding agencies for their assistance.