Two drivers went around road-closure barricades during Saturday flooding in Sumner County, setting off a chain of events that included one death and a separate emergency in which a deputy’s patrol SUV was swallowed by floodwaters. The incident happened Saturday afternoon along South Oliver Road near Wellington.
Authorities said one vehicle ended up in the east ditch, where the driver was able to get out without assistance, while another was swept into fast-moving water on the west side of the road. Wellington Fire/EMS crews were initially dispatched to two submerged vehicles, but while responders were working, a Sumner County Sheriff’s deputy’s patrol SUV hydroplaned into the floodwaters and became submerged.
As conditions remained dangerous, two deputies formed a human chain to rescue the deputy from the water while emergency crews continued handling the original calls. Emergency teams suspended immediate search efforts for the missing driver on Saturday due to the water moving too fast and being too deep. After water levels receded Sunday, crews resumed the search with help from the Kansas Highway Patrol, and a helicopter located the victim about a quarter mile from where the vehicle entered the water.
FOX Kansas News reported on the rescue and the subsequent search as officials emphasized the incident was preventable.