Young girls saved from swollen Conneaut Creek

By MARK TODD - Staff Writer - mtodd@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon

June 07, 2008 01:06 am

— CONNEAUT — Firefighters came to the rescue Friday afternoon of two young girls briefly trapped in a rain-swollen Conneaut Creek.
The girls, ages 12 and 13, were in good shape and did not require any medical attention at the scene, according to reports.
Firefighters were dispatched to the Old Main Road bridge shortly before 4 p.m. A friend of the girls, using a cellular telephone, called for help, according to reports.
The pair, both from Conneaut, were swimming in the creek when the “water came up real quick,” one girl told firefighters. The current was too strong for the girls to reach shore, firefighters said.
When help arrived, the girls were clinging to a tree pinned against an old bridge abutment in the water. Conneaut Fire Station 1 firefighters Matt Anderson and Matt Marous, wearing safety vests, entered the water and tossed ropes to the girls, who were helped to shore, according to reports. The rescue was completed in a matter of minutes, firefighters said.
An ambulance was dispatched and members of the fire department’s dive team also arrived as a precaution. Conneaut Fire Station 3 airboat was sent to the scene but didn’t need to enter the water, firefighters said.
Severe storms that rolled through the region Thursday produced plenty of rain that boosted the depth of the creek dramatically. One firefighter said the creek rose two feet within the span of a few hours Friday.