Watch: KSP troopers rescue 5 people from floodwaters during March downpour
Three Kentucky State Police troopers were honored recently for rescuing five people trapped in a vehicle that had been swept away by rising floodwaters in March.
The rescue happened March 15 in Grant County. KSP said a van was swept off a road by rising floodwater, trapping five people inside.
Body camera footage of the incident released by KSP this week shows a trooper arriving on the scene around 7:30 p.m. A swift water rescue team was requested, but after learning the team wouldn’t arrive for an hour, three troopers took matters into their own hands and performed the rescue.
KSP identified the three troopers as Justin Corlis, Mitchell Culbertson and Matthew Pinson.
The troopers navigated treacherous, flooded and dense terrain to reach the van. The body-worn camera footage shows the van about eight feet from the shore in partially submerged floodwater that had risen above the glove box.
One trooper stood in waist-deep water getting all five people out of the van while the other two troopers helped each person to safety, according to KSP. It took about seven minutes for the troopers to rescue the people from the van.
The troopers then escorted the victims back through the terrain for about 20 minutes without injury. The group had to cross multiple barbed wire fences during the walk.
“Troopers Corlis, Pinson and Culbertson exhibited extraordinary courage and selflessness in the face of danger,” Captain Scott Lengle, commander of the troopers’ post, said in a news release. “Without hesitation, they entered the water to save lives, placing the safety of others above their own. Their swift actions and steadfast commitment to duty were instrumental in preventing what could have been a devastating tragedy.”
The troopers were surprised with a $10,000 award for their efforts during a recent ceremony by the James A. and Martha R. Brown Foundation, a group that provides grants to organizations and institutions that improve cultural, educational and civic opportunities in communities. The troopers had to donate the award to a nonprofit organization of their choice, and the troopers unanimously selected the Kentucky State Police Foundation to receive the donation.
The Kentucky State Police Foundation supports the agency and troopers through community and private sector partnerships, according to the foundation’s website.
“The James A. and Martha R. Brown Foundation really wanted to express our appreciation in a meaningful way,” board member Ed Culbertson said in a news release. “What you all did, wading through the deep water, risking your lives to help those people, should be recognized.”
