WINFIELD, Mo. — A Lincoln County man is calling out the Winfield fire department for failing to rescue his wife after he said he and his sons had to rescue her themselves.
"She was panicking because she wanted us to get out of the car, she was afraid she was going to drown. We were afraid she was going to wash away and drown," said Chris Beeler.
It was a split-second decision as rushing water submerged Tammie Johnson's car.
"At that point, she was about in the middle of the bridge," Beeler said. "It's hard to tell now, but that was about 5 foot of water in that point in time."
The horrifying scene played out Friday night along Birkhead Road in Winfield.
Beeler says he harnessed himself to his two sons to get Tammie out before it was too late.
"She didn't jump out, we didn't really pull her out. Basically, she leaned in the window and the car washed away and we kind of held on to her while we ripped her out of the car," Beeler said.
The family said the worst part was that the Winfield-Foley Fire Department was there the entire time.
"They had a guy looked like he was tied off to the fire truck and another rope back to a tree or something," said Beeler's son, Nick Beeler. "And he waded out about knee-deep in the water and said it was too dangerous and went back."
The department said that firefighter was just trying to find another way in on a night when they had multiple calls and even fewer helping hands.
"It's an absolutely terrifying situation for the family. With our limited resources though it's a real reality.," said Winfield Fire Chief Nathan Schnelle. He says his rural Lincoln County department can only do so much.
"I guess what the fire department asks at this point is support from the community so we can better ourselves in the future," Schnelle said.
The woman in the car only had minor injuries. She is doing okay.
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