Firefighters rescue man after he crashed his pickup truck into Nimishillen Creek in Canton
Canton and Bolivar firefighters pulled an unconscious driver from an upside-down pickup in 6 to 8 feet of water
CANTON, Ohio (WOIO) - A 28-year-old man is in critical condition after his pickup truck crossed the median on Interstate 77 northbound, entered oncoming traffic, lost a tire and drove off the highway into the West Branch of Nimishillen Creek around 6:30 p.m.
Witnesses flagged down a passing Bolivar EMS crew and reported what happened. Two Bolivar firefighters and one Canton firefighter responded to rescue the driver.
Rescue conditions
Crews found the vehicle upside down and fully submerged in 6 to 8 feet of water. Firefighters climbed a six-foot fence, descended a ravine and entered the water to reach the vehicle.
“Before we knew it, we were pretty much up to our necks, just kind of waiting. The vehicle was upside down. It was on its roof,” Canton Firefighter Kyle Gallagher said.
Gallagher and Bolivar firefighters Sarah Valentine and Ashley Curtner, climbed over a large fence, waded into the water, and wrenched open the truck door and extricated the driver, who was unconscious and not breathing.
“Once I reached in and felt somebody, I was just like, hopefully we can give this guy whatever chance possible to survive,” Gallagher said.
The rescue took six minutes from the time the call came in until the driver was carried out. Canton police drone video captured the submerged truck during the operation.
Patient condition
Resuscitation was initiated at the scene. Canton Fire Division Chief Steve Henderson said the driver was pulseless when loaded into the ambulance.
“That long in the water, when they got him in the ambulance, he was pulseless. They did CPR on him. And when they got him to the hospital, they were able to get a pulse back,” Henderson said.
The driver was transported to Aultman Hospital. Canton Fire said he remained in critical condition as of last report, and it was not known whether he had regained consciousness.
Firefighter response
Gallagher has been a firefighter for 15 years and has been with the Canton Fire Department for just over a year. Henderson said the collaboration between Canton and Bolivar crews was notable.
“They’re a credit to the fire service. They did an amazing job, awesome teamwork. You know, we don’t interact with Bolivar that often, but we came together as a team and got the job done, so it was a good day,” Henderson said.
Henderson added that he was proud of Gallagher’s performance.
“Incredibly proud. I mean, he’s a young guy. We’re a very young department, but they make us proud every day,” Henderson said.
Gallagher said Bolivar firefighters Valentine and Curtner were first on scene and made a difference in the outcome. He also credited bystanders for working together during the rescue.
“That’s kind of what our job is, to try to give the best chance of survival. And when something like that happens, when things go right, it feels good. It feels good to know that you made a difference in somebody’s life. Hopefully the outcome is good,” Gallagher said.
Road closures and investigation
Both northbound and southbound lanes of I-77 were closed while crews worked the scene. The Stark County HAZMAT Team was dispatched to contain fluids leaking from the vehicle.
Canton Police are investigating the cause of the crash. The Bolivar Fire Department was contacted for comment, but the crew involved was off duty.
The southbound lanes opened about 10:45 p.m.
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