OHIO — A man was hospitalized Sunday morning after being found stuck in the Tuscarawas River overnight, according to the Canal Fulton-Lawrence Township Fire Department.
Emergency crews were dispatched around 7:27 a.m. to Canal House Floral following reports of a man in the river. A couple walking along the Towpath Trail spotted him and alerted authorities, saying he had been in the water overnight.
Firefighters and EMS quickly located the man. A firefighter entered the river and was able to safely pull him out. He was then transported to a local hospital. His condition has not been released.
The fire department noted that with overnight temperatures in the 50s, prolonged exposure to the water posed a serious risk of hypothermia. Officials credited the alert citizens and the rapid response of emergency crews for preventing a worse outcome.
“The Canal Fulton-Lawrence Township Fire Department extends its gratitude to the alert citizens who reported the emergency and commends the professionalism of its responding crews,” the department said in a statement.
