Body of missing driver recovered after truck swept off flooded Martin County road

Written from press release

MARTIN COUNTY, Ind. — Indiana Conservation Officers have recovered the body of an 82-year-old Fortville man after his truck was swept off a flooded roadway near Shoals, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

DNR identified the man as James Petty, 82, of Fortville.

Authorities said Petty had been missing after the truck was swept off Spout Springs Road south of Shoals near the White River, an area officials said is prone to flooding.

According to the DNR, Martin County dispatch received a 911 call for help at 2:37 p.m. from the passenger of the vehicle, who was able to climb out of a window and hold onto a nearby tree vine. Members of the Shoals Volunteer Fire Department and the Martin County Sheriff’s Department launched a boat and rescued the passenger.

Indiana Conservation Officers then began searching for Petty and the vehicle, using surface searches and sonar. Officials said the search was complicated by swift-moving floodwater.

At about 1:45 p.m. Monday, divers were able to safely reach the vehicle, which was in about 20 feet of floodwater, and conduct a thorough search. Petty was found dead inside the truck, according to the DNR.

Responding agencies included the Martin County Sheriff’s Department, Martin County Emergency Medical Services, Shoals Volunteer Fire Department and Indiana Conservation Officers.

The post Body of missing driver recovered after truck swept off flooded Martin County road first appeared on The Bloomingtonian.