88-year-old couple caught in flash flood drown before rescue arrives, Illinois cops say

An 88-year-old husband and wife became trapped by flash flood waters and drowned along a rural Illinois road, police said.

Rescuers were on the way to the scene July 16 near Elsah, and another man stuck on the roof of his vehicle witnessed the couple’s final moments as he spoke with a 911 operator, according to a news release from the Jersey County Sheriff’s Office.

He called for help as water began filling his car, and the operator directed him to escape the cabin through his sunroof. From that vantage point he noticed a second vehicle was in the same danger as him, sitting dead in the road as water rose around it, the sheriff’s office said.

He saw a woman in the vehicle and a man just outside, trying to swim in the current, officials said. The man was swept away while the woman remained trapped.

When rescue crews arrived, “the area was flooded and impassable by car,” so they inched toward the caller on foot until they could reach him, at which point the water was past his feet.

The vehicle behind his was “completely submerged,” the sheriff’s office said. A woman was found dead inside and boat crews located the man along the bank of a nearby creek, also having drowned.

Officials learned they were husband and wife, both 88 years old.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to their family and loved ones as they work through this tragedy,” the sheriff’s office said.

They have been identified as Terry and Carolyn Dooley, of Alton, KSDK reported.

The Dooleys were highly involved and well known in the community, investing time and money into their town, the station reported. They will be remembered by their children and grandchildren, and for the mark they made with their philanthropic efforts, community members told the outlet.

“They were the most pleasant, upbeat and positive people and leaders in civic engagement,” Sara McGibney, director of Alton Main Street, told the station.

Alton is a roughly 20-mile drive north from downtown St. Louis. Elsah, near where the couple drowned, is about an 11-mile drive northwest from Alton.

This story was originally published July 17, 2024 at 1:27 PM with the headline "88-year-old couple caught in flash flood drown before rescue arrives, Illinois cops say."