SHAWANO, WI- A 68-year-old Gresham man was rescued from the Wolf River on Wednesday, after his vehicle veered off Highway 29 and plunged into the water. The Shawano County Sheriff’s Office received a call about the single-vehicle crash around 8:40 a.m. from a fisherman who discovered the submerged car and the injured driver.
According to evidence at the scene and information from the driver, the vehicle had been traveling westbound on Highway 29 around 3 a.m. when it entered the median, narrowly missing guardrails before crashing down a steep embankment into the river. The driver, who had sustained severe injuries, stated that he had been trapped in the water for several hours, crying out for help in the secluded area until he was finally found by the fisherman.
Emergency responders from the Shawano Ambulance Service and the Shawano Area Fire Department worked quickly to extract the man from the river. He was transported a short distance downriver on a fire department boat to a more accessible location and then taken to a hospital for medical treatment. The Shawano County Highway Department assisted by closing the westbound lanes of Highway 29 for several hours as tow trucks worked to remove the vehicle from the river.
The crash remains under investigation, and no further details have been released at this time. The Shawano County Sheriff’s Office expressed gratitude to all responders who assisted in the rescue efforts and helped ensure the safety of the scene.
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