UPDATE: According to KAIT, the Independence County Sheriff’s Department has confirmed that a 47-year-old man who attempted to rescue a child drowning in the White River is dead.
Independence County Sheriff Shawn Stephens told KAIT the man’s name will not be released until the next of kin is notified. He added the child was doing okay.
EARLIER:
The Batesville Police Department (BPD) reports two people were hospitalized Friday evening after a drowning rescue on the White River.
According to a report from KAIT, officials with the department say a child fell into the White River earlier this afternoon near Lock and Dam 1. The report says the man went after the child and never resurfaced. His body was found nearly an hour later. Another man was able to grab hold of the child and pull them to safety.
The department tells KAIT the first man and child were taken to White River Medical Center, where their condition is currently unknown.
Vital Link EMS, BPD, the Independence County Sheriff’s Department, and Batesville Fire Department all responded in the search for the man.
Police said the first man and child were taken to White River Medical Center, and their condition is currently unknown.
Click here for the KAIT report.
Image by Stacy Fields, White River Now
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