A rural Baxter County man, 49-year-old Eldon Cooper, was rescued from a pond Wednesday evening, after the tractor he was operating slid off the muddy edge of a levee and was pulled into the water, trapping him. The incident occurred in the area of Baxter County Road 1175, north of Mountain Home.
Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery says at approximately 5:10 Wednesday evening Cooper called his wife and asked her to meet him at church around 6:00. When he did not arrive at the church, his wife went home to look for him. She went to the pond and found the tractor on its side and placed a call for help at 7:31. The Clarkridge Volunteer Fire/Rescue Squad responded, as did Sheriffs deputies and the Sheriffs Office Diver, Sergeant Lee Sanders.At 8:39 sounds were heard from the tractor. Fire/rescue personnel, along with Cooper’s brother, got into the water and found him still alive inside the cab. Two fire/rescue personnel and Sanders were able to get Cooper out of the tractor and to the shore.
He was transported by ambulance to Baxter Regional Medical Center in Mountain Home to be treated.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI