Couple, caught in flood, rescued by firefighters

Havre Fire Department was called to action Wednesday to help a couple caught in flood waters.

A caller at 9:21 a.m. requested help on Davey Road southeast of Havre after a tractor carrying two people across Little Box Elder Creek got stuck in the high water.

The front end of the tractor dropped into a low spot, said Havre Fire Department Chief Dave Sheppard, adding that only the back end of the tractor was above water when the emergency response crew arrived, and water rushing around the tractor was beginning to erode the ground under a back tire.

This erosion eventually began to tip the tractor.

Hill County sheriff's deputies and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks personnel responded to the scene offering assistance, which included use of an FWP boat.

Unable to use the boat because of the terrain under the water, fire department personnel, dressed in cold water rescue suits and hooked to ropes, worked their way to the two victims on the tractor, Sheppard said, and the pair was pulled to safety.

The two people were cold, Sheppard added, but uninjured and did not require transport to the hospital.