(ClaytonCountyRegister) – The heroic actions of area law enforcement and local rescue personnel last week saved the lives of two Northeast Iowans.
George Balekos, 86, of Monona, and Valerie Timmerman, 54, of Strawberry Point, were in a pick-up truck that tumbled down a rocky embankment behind the Clayton County Courthouse and then plunged into the frigid waters of the Turkey River. Timmerman, the passenger, was able to exit the vehicle; Balekos, who was driving, was trapped in his place behind the steering wheel.
The drama unfolded just before 2 p.m. last Wednesday when the dispatch center at the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call about the accident. Sheriff Mike Tschirgi and several deputies raced to the scene. All volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel were alerted, as well. Firefighters Caleb Shea, Corey Koehn and Robby Wemark were among the first to arrive.
“While we were en route, I instructed Robby to unpack our (wet) suits and have them ready to go,” Shea said. “When we got out of the truck, we just put on the suits and went in.”
To reach the truck, which was almost fully submerged, Shea and Koehn climbed down a cliff through a tangle of brush and small trees. Safety lines tightly held by sheriff’s deputies and other firefighters were securely fastened to their waists. Initially, their suits protected them from the cold water, which Elkader Fire Chief Scott Marmann estimated at around 42 degrees.
“Corey and I both damaged our suits on debris causing the lower half of the suits to fill with water,” Shea said. “That actually gave us a little more ballast to stay put.”
The river’s current was also a factor that Shea and Koehn had to take into account.
“We had to be very careful where we were in the water because the current was very strong, and it was hard even to stand in a place where we could reach the bottom,” Koehn said.
While Koehn assisted Timmerman, Shea made his way to the driver’s side of the truck. With water levels reaching Balekos’ neck, Shea knew he had to get the man out of the vehicle. He tried to break the driver’s side window.
“That didn’t work so I pried the door open against the current, and propped myself between the door and the truck to keep it from closing again,” Shea said.
