An 86-year-old farmer was rescued Thursday from a flooded field in western Minnesota after a torrent of frigid water surrounded his tractor.
The retired farmer, whose name was not released, apparently had powered up the big-wheeled tractor because he knew he couldn't use his regular vehicle on a stretch of flooded road, said Lac Qui Parle County Sheriff Dallas Schellberg said. But he didn't realize that part of the underwater road had been washed out.
The farmer ended up stuck in ice water at least 6 feet deep and with a current fast enough to "take you off your feet," Schellberg said.
Emergency crews broke out a small inflatable raft in hopes of sending it downstream to the farmer. When that didn't work, State Patrol trooper Kris Paluch, wearing a flotation device and tied to a safety rope, jumped onto the raft, floated to the tractor and grabbed on.
After the farmer slid onto the raft with Paluch, rescue workers pulled the two to safety. "It took everything we had to pull them against the current," Schellberg said.
At one point, Paluch ended up in the water. "It was enough to take your breath away," Paluch said of the icy water, adding, "It felt good to get him to safety."
As rivers across the region continued to rise, authorities announced the following:
• The Stillwater Lift Bridge may be closed next week, cutting off a well-traveled route to western Wisconsin, if the St. Croix rises to 88 feet. The new predicted high, expected Thursday, is a foot above the last forecast.
