DUGGER — A Bloomfield man is recovering after a harrowing ordeal on an ice-covered reservoir in the Greene-Sullivan State Forest yesterday morning. The incident sparked a massive multi-agency response and a daring “hands-on” rescue by Indiana Conservation Officers.
At approximately 9:22 a.m., emergency responders were dispatched to Reservoir 26 near Dugger following reports of men in the water.
According to Indiana Conservation Officers, the incident began when three men were attempting to set up for a waterfowl hunt. David Thornton, 34, of Bloomfield, and Coleman Chasteen, 35, of Bloomington, were navigating the ice-choked water in an aluminum boat when the vessel overturned. Both men were plunged into the freezing water approximately 300 feet from the shoreline.
A third member of the party, Kyle Britton, 25, of Bloomfield, remained stranded nearby in a kayak, unable to reach his companions safely.
In a critical display of quick thinking, Chasteen—who was wearing a life jacket—managed to pull himself out of the water onto a small island roughly 90 feet away. Once on land, Chasteen realized Thornton remained trapped in the water. He managed to transfer his life jacket to Thornton, providing him with vital buoyancy as the minutes ticked by in the sub-freezing temperatures.
By the time help arrived, Thornton had been immersed in the frigid reservoir for approximately 50 minutes.
Conservation Officer Matt Landis, equipped with a specialized dry suit and rescue gear, entered the water. With the assistance of local police and fire personnel on shore, Landis performed a hands-on rescue to pull Thornton from the water.
“Despite the prolonged exposure, Thornton was conscious, alert, and even able to walk at the time of transport,” officials noted.
Thornton was airlifted by a Lifeline Helicopter to Eskenazi Hospital in Indianapolis for treatment.
Following the primary rescue, conservation officers deployed an airboat to retrieve Chasteen and Britton from their isolated positions. The airboat was also used to recover the hunters’ overturned boat, kayak, and hunting equipment.
The successful rescue was the result of a coordinated effort between over a dozen agencies, including:
Sullivan County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana State Police, and police departments from Linton, Dugger, and the Dugger Town Marshal and fire departments from Linton, Greene County, Thunderbird, Union, and Hymera-Jackson Township.
Conservation officers remind the public that life jackets are essential when navigating icy waters, as they provide the critical time necessary for rescue crews to arrive.
