2-Car Crash Leaves Accident Victims Stranded On An Island In Yorktown

YORKTOWN, NY — A two-vehicle crash presented an unexpected complication for rescues as rising waters stranded the victims.

On Sunday evening, just after 4:30 p.m., Yorktown Fire, Yorktown Volunteer Ambulance Corps and Empress EMS were called to the Taconic for a car crash with an extrication required.

The first responders who arrived on scene found two overturned vehicles about 100 ft. from the road. To make matters worse, the vehicles were in fast-moving water.

Firefighters said that because heavy rain had just passed through the area, what is normally a small stream had turned into a fast-moving river of water. The water was initially about a third of the way up the overturned cars, spanning approximately 20 ft. and moving at about 5 knots, more than enough to knock rescuers off their feet.

One crash victim, who was found on the highway side of the incident, was immediately treated by EMS. Two other victims, however, had freed themselves from their cars, but were located on the other side of the swift water.

The initial rescue involved a plan of setting up a rope high line and ferrying rescuers and victims back and forth across the swift water. As rescuers were finalizing setting up the high line, the first responders noticed that with rain stopping, the swift water was beginning to recede and slow down.

Crews decided to instead drop a 24 ft. extension ladder across the moving water, have the victims walk across the ladder, and to use the high line as a safety belay.

Both victims were safely removed from their precarious perch in about 20 minutes. All three accident victims were taken to a nearby trauma center.