BRAXTON COUNTY, W.Va. — Three people, including a West Virginia volunteer firefighter, died during a weekend rescue attempt in Braxton County, authorities said.
According to the West Virginia MetroNews and WOWK-TV, the incident occurred about 2:30 p.m. Sunday by the Herold Bridge near Sutton. The Braxton County Sheriff’s Department said a mother and her child were inside a vehicle when it plunged into the Elk River, the news outlets reported.
Emergency crews, including police and firefighters, sprang into action to try to save the people inside the car, the MetroNews reported. The mother and child ultimately died, as well as one of the rescuers, 24-year-old John Dean Forbush of the Gassaway Volunteer Fire Department, according to the newspaper.
A state trooper and sheriff’s deputy rescued one man who started to sink while trying to save the victims, WOWK reported. Authorities said he will likely be OK.
No further details, including the names of the victims or what caused the crash, were immediately available. West Virginia State Police, Braxton County Emergency Medical Services and other agencies helped the Sheriff’s Department with the investigation, according to WOWK.
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