A 68-year-old Gresham man was rescued nearly six hours after his car crashed into the river near state Highway 29 on Aug. 28.
With help from the Shawano Ambulance Service and the Shawano Area Fire Department, the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department removed the driver from the vehicle, transported him a short distance down the river on a fire department boat to a more accessible area and then transported him to a hospital for medical treatment.
The Shawano County Highway Department assisted with shutting down the westbound lanes of Highway 29 for several hours while several tow trucks worked on removing the vehicle from the river.
Dispatchers were alerted about 8:40 a.m. to a report of a single-vehicle crash on state Highway 29 near state Highway 22 in the Town of Belle Plaine.
A person fishing on the Wolf River came across a vehicle in the water with a male driver who had severe injuries.
Evidence on scene and information gathered from the driver indicated the vehicle was westbound on Highway 29 around 3 a.m. when it entered the median, missed the guard rails and traveled down a deep embankment into the river.
The driver said he had been laying injured in the water for several hours, yelling for help. This area is secluded, and no one could hear his cries until the fisherman found him, according to the sheriff’s department.
This crash is still under investigation.
Man rescued after car driven into river
