DU_stud04
04-02-2007, 02:03 AM
AUSTIN --
San Marcos Fire Rescue saved three men and a woman from the top of a pickup truck that plunged into the Blanco River from a low water crossing in San Marcos early Sunday morning.
None of the occupants were injured and all four were taken into custody by the Hays County Sheriff's Department following the two hour rescue.
The driver was identified as 19year-old Britt Michael Walker who was charged with driving while intoxicated, a class b misdemeanor, and deadly conduct, a class a misdemeanor.
The passengers were identified as:
19-year-old Matthew Sean Belisle
20-year-old Mustafa Nazmus Shadid
18-year-old Kati Walker
The passengers were all charged with public intoxication, a class c misdemeanor.
The emergency call came in around 3:30 a.m. Sunday after the westbound pickup truck either washed off or drove off the Uhland Road low water crossing into the Blanco River near River Road in San Marcos.
The crossing was barricaded and closed to traffic due to high water flowing over the bridge in recent days.
Some 25 emergency responders, including 13 firefighters, EMS, San Marcos Police and Hays County Sheriff's deputies, responded to the rescue.
San Marcos Fire Rescue used a new 100-foot ladder truck backed into the river to reach the four, who climbed onto the top of the pickup cab in the middle of the Blanco about 50-feet downstream from the bridge.
Firefighters provided all four with lifejackets until rescuers helped them, two at a time, from the top of the pickup using the extended ladder.
"This was a textbook rescue," said Fire Chief Mike Baker. "We used all but three feet of the 100-foot ladder to reach them. Everyone did a fantastic job."
According to Baker, the pickup truck drove west across the bridge after the four had attended a party on the east side of the Blanco river. Earlier in the evening, they had crossed the bridge after going around the barricades.
On the way back, the pickup either drove or was washed into the Blanco River by the six-to-eight inches of water flowing over the crossing.
"I want to remind people to turn around, don't drown," Baker said. "Don't put our emergency responders at risk by doing something like this."
San Marcos Fire Rescue saved three men and a woman from the top of a pickup truck that plunged into the Blanco River from a low water crossing in San Marcos early Sunday morning.
None of the occupants were injured and all four were taken into custody by the Hays County Sheriff's Department following the two hour rescue.
The driver was identified as 19year-old Britt Michael Walker who was charged with driving while intoxicated, a class b misdemeanor, and deadly conduct, a class a misdemeanor.
The passengers were identified as:
19-year-old Matthew Sean Belisle
20-year-old Mustafa Nazmus Shadid
18-year-old Kati Walker
The passengers were all charged with public intoxication, a class c misdemeanor.
The emergency call came in around 3:30 a.m. Sunday after the westbound pickup truck either washed off or drove off the Uhland Road low water crossing into the Blanco River near River Road in San Marcos.
The crossing was barricaded and closed to traffic due to high water flowing over the bridge in recent days.
Some 25 emergency responders, including 13 firefighters, EMS, San Marcos Police and Hays County Sheriff's deputies, responded to the rescue.
San Marcos Fire Rescue used a new 100-foot ladder truck backed into the river to reach the four, who climbed onto the top of the pickup cab in the middle of the Blanco about 50-feet downstream from the bridge.
Firefighters provided all four with lifejackets until rescuers helped them, two at a time, from the top of the pickup using the extended ladder.
"This was a textbook rescue," said Fire Chief Mike Baker. "We used all but three feet of the 100-foot ladder to reach them. Everyone did a fantastic job."
According to Baker, the pickup truck drove west across the bridge after the four had attended a party on the east side of the Blanco river. Earlier in the evening, they had crossed the bridge after going around the barricades.
On the way back, the pickup either drove or was washed into the Blanco River by the six-to-eight inches of water flowing over the crossing.
"I want to remind people to turn around, don't drown," Baker said. "Don't put our emergency responders at risk by doing something like this."