Renee Fite photo
Rescuing the Dawsons
by Renee Fite
City of Stilwell Director of Public Relations and Media
Sometimes people drive across low water slabs during rain because they’ve done it before, with no problems, including Tera Dawson.
This time, though, her car was swept off the side of the slab into a strong current at Evansville Creek, leaving her and two young daughters needing to be rescued. On Saturday, April 5, Jude Dawson, 10 and Mya Dawson, 3, were riding with mom, heading to her best friend’s house after leaving her sisters.
It wasn’t her first time to drive across a slab with water covering it.
“Genuinely, hasn't everybody?,” she said.
It was 8:30 p.m. on a backroad covered in trees nonetheless.
“I seen there was water over it but I wasn't paying attention, no I wasn't on my phone, I was just talking to my girls. Also hadn't thought about it raining the few days before that,” Dawson said.
Fortunately, she reacted quickly to protect her children and herself.
“It's kind of always been a thing, one of my biggest fears actually, is to get stuck in a car and drown, especially my kids in there as well,” said Dawson. “I just always knew if I was going to get in that situation and I could help it, was to get the windows down and make sure we all got out. I was actually talking to a dear friend about what we would do in that situation the day before so it was definitely on my mind already. Ironic, right?”
When the car got washed off the slab, the water moved it just to the side of the slab, right where the water was coming out of the drain pipes.
“By the time me and the girls jumped out, we were already in the creek. When we jumped, it pushed us down about 15-20 feet.
Thankfully, that creek is always pretty low anyway so even with the fresh water flowing we ended up on a gravel bar. We were able to dig our feet down into the rocks and stand up,” she said.
Almost immediately someone stopped to help.
“By the time we were getting planted and stood up, a bystander was pulling up. Maybe 5-10 minutes go by and a couple more show up. They just kept saying "hold on," and "somebody’s coming,” said Dawson.
Time was hard to judge during the crisis.
“Honestly, the time lapse between when the bystanders got there and when people arrived that could actually help felt the longest,” she said. “I was thankful and grateful that so many people were showing up. A lot of them stood at the bank and put their headlights/spotlights on us. But I knew they felt as helpless as we did because nobody was equipped to jump in rushing water and get us out safely.”
There was a weight lifted when the ladder truck showed, “but I knew we still had to be rescued out of there.”
Her older daughter, Jude, caught the lifejacket attached to a rope and put it on.
Seeing her first child lifted, drift into the water, then pulled to safety in the hands of the first responders was a relief.
“I was cool and at the moment she lost her footing, I was holding my breath and torn between looking and looking away. I knew and could
see the first responders trying with everything they had to pull her out and they were successful,” Dawson said.
Next came Dawson and her toddler.
“After getting Jude out, of course I was a little relieved. One piece of my heart was safe. The next obstacle was to get Mya out safely. They had to get a free ladder and use it as an extension. Seeing them making sure it was stable relieved me and terrified me at the same time,” she said.
At last Mya was safe.
“Whenever Dillon [Martin] reached out to get the baby, it was smooth. They had her and all the weight came off my shoulders. At that point I told the guys I was fine, which I very much was still in the water, but I was fine,” Dawson said. “After I was able to get out of the water, climbing up the ladder I was just relieved we all were safe and out of that situation.”
From the last time she looked at the clock until she was talking to the paramedic, he told her she was in the water a little over an hour.
“That it can happen to anybody, at any time. I made a mistake because I was comfortable and in a hurry. Always stay alert,” she said.
Everyone worked together for the rescue.
“I’m very much proud of this community and all the men and women that have a part in it. There were people there in plain clothes that were there just because they lived close and wanted to help. There were people off duty there. Every department really came together,” she said.
The incident has left deep impressions on Dawson.
“What do I not remember? I'm generally an aware person anyway, but when your kids (and possibly your life) is on the line, time stands still,” she said. “I remember every detail. The sequence of events. The scenery. How the air cut through you. The sound of the water that used to relax me, but could take any of us. The people pulling up. Their shouts. Their lights. Praying to God and singing worship songs with my kids. Help coming. The actual rescue. I was fine the moment my kids got out of the water. All the faces I knew. All the faces I didn't know.”
Praise and thanks to all from a grateful mother.
“Sometimes, people have negative things to say about this town. But I can tell you that whenever they see somebody in need, especially those on the front line, they step in and help save whoever. Doesn't matter how
much money you have. What clothes you have on. Whether you’re standing in the creek or standing in a burning building, they're there to save you and they work hard and are skilled at what they do,” said Dawson.
She also want to shine a light on something.
“If you see somebody in an emergency life or death situation. Don't call so and so because that's who you know (it's easy in this town). Call 911. Dispatch are the only ones that can page the right people out and do it in a timely manner,” she said.
There's also always going to be comments made.
“She should have done this,” “Turn around don't drown," "if it wasn't for ___.” I'm here to say, we need to show grace and compassion. Not only in my situation, but I know people that have got washed away and didn't make it. I also know other people that have been able to tell their story. If we see somebody in need, we need to lend a helping hand. You never know, you could end up saving somebody’s life and that could also be you or your family in that situation,” Dawson said.
