Woman Rescued from Submerging SUV

At 10:16 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 12, the Clare Fire Department responded to report of a vehicle in the water. The fire department arrived on scene at 10:21 a.m. to find a silver SUV in the water below the Shamrock Lake Dam in the City of Clare. The Clare Police Department on scene reported that it was undetermined if the vehicle was occupied. The vehicle was submerged up to about 18 inches below the roof line, and all windows were intact. Clare Fire Capt. Chad Michels and Lt. Orin Marshall entered the water in their ice rescue suits and made their way out to the rear of the vehicle, where they broke out the rear window that was still completely out of the water. Inside they found a 37-year-old female, conscious and alert. A local DNR officer who heard the call on the radio responded with a kayak. With the aid of the firefighters the driver was taken out the rear window and put into the kayak. She was then taken to shore and transported to the Clare Emergency Room by MMR ambulance. Clare Fire Chief James Chapman said this was a group effort by all responding parties. The Clare Fire Department has had the rescue equipment for many years and trains yearly for this kind of emergency.

The driver, who is from Farwell, was very lucky the vehicle stayed somewhat t afloat which gave her a space out of the water with air to breath. This could have been a tragedy, but it had a happy ending. Firefighters from both Clare and Surrey Township Fire Department assisted with the rescue, and Jim’s Body Shop wrecker assisted with pulling the vehicle from the water. Clare PD, Michigan DNR, MMR Ambulance, also assisted on scene.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.