Tonganoxie fire captain pulls woman from creek

A Tonganoxie woman who thought she heard someone yelling for help near Tonganoxie Creek had to be rescued from the water after falling in herself.

Tonganoxie Fire Capt. Moe McCutchen said he arrived on the scene after hearing a dispatch call, which came in about 10:45 p.m. Saturday, stating that someone possibly had fallen in the creek.

McCutchen said that when he came upon the creek, he saw the woman fall into it. He estimated she fell into the water about 6 to 8 feet from the creek’s bank.

Tonganoxie Creek’s water level was above normal levels following Saturday’s rainfall. Tonganoxie was included in a flash flood warning until 3:30 a.m. Sunday.

The woman, whom McCutchen identified as Tonganoxie resident Bonnie Sivyer, was clinging to a branch in the water when he jumped in to rescue her. McCutchen didn’t have any rescue equipment with him, and he said he the creek’s water was about chest-deep.

McCutchen said he thought nothing of jumping in the creek to rescue Sivyer. “It had to be done,” he said. “It’s all I could do.”

The rescue happened near the walking bridge that crosses the creek just southeast of Tonganoxie High School.

Sivyer received medical attention from Leavenworth County Emergency Medical Service, McCutchen said, and was released.

Tonganoxie City Fire Chief Dave Bennett said it was believed that Sivyer, who lives near the creek, thought she heard someone calling for help from the creek and called 911.

Following up on that original 911 call, Leavenworth County Water Rescue and Tonganoxie and Reno Township firefighters searched along the creek, said Tonganoxie Fire Chief Dave Bennett. Firefighters were stationed with spotlights at various places along the creek and discontinued their search about 12:30 a.m. Sunday.

The rescue came several hours after tornadoes touched down Saturday southeast of Tonganoxie in southern Leavenworth County, where residents in the rural area between Reno and Linwood spent their Sunday evening surveying the damage to several homes and outbuildings that were destroyed. Much of the damage was in an area along Douglas Road, north of Interstate 70 about 5 miles east of the Lawrence Service Area on the Kansas Turnpike. No injuries were reported.

“It sounded like a grenade went off, and it was hitting right here,” said Jeff Kaighin, who took shelter in his home on Saturday evening and spent Sunday working on his neighbors’ damaged outbuildings.