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DES MOINES, Iowa- Dramatic stories from the Missouri River flood continue to come in.
The Department of Natural Resources says dozens of their staffers from across the state worked in two-man teams per boat, from dawn to dusk, rescuing 31-people, 17-dogs, 9-cats, and one iguana.
The DNR says on March 14th, a conservation officer and a U.S. Fish and Wildlife officer rescued two non-ambulatory people trapped in their home by the floodwaters in Missouri Valley. Working with other emergency personnel, the officers broke out the window to the room where the victims were located to find both victims suffering from severe hypothermia and going in and out of consciousness.
During the rescue mission, the officers encountered high winds and dangerous whitecaps making the rescue much more difficult. Both people were rescued and taken to a local hospital and survived.
DNR conservation officers responded to Riverton March 16th, to rescue two people trapped by the floodwaters after they drove around road closed barriers and their vehicle took on flood waters.
One man had climbed a tree to escape the water and was clinging to it when officers arrived to rescued him. He was suffering from severe hypothermia and was transported to a hospital for treatment and survived. While trying to rescue the other man, officers held his head above the 34-degree water for nearly 40 minutes. The man received emergency medical attention but died on the way to the hospital.
The DNR says their staff also helped provide transportation to Mid-American Energy crews to areas swamped by flood waters, to shut off electricity. They also transported officials assessing damage.