A desperate search is underway for two individuals after their vehicle was engulfed by the mighty currents of Maine’s Swift River. As reported NBC Boston, four people were initially in the car as it traversed Route 2 in Mexico on its way towards the Red Bridge, which leads into Rumford, but their journey took a harrowing turn amidst the floodwaters at approximately 5 p.m. yesterday.
As they tried to reverse their course, disaster struck, and their vehicle was overcome by the surging river, leaving three of the passengers to struggle against the merciless flood. While two of them were ultimately rescued and treated at Rumford Hospital for hypothermia, the other one could not be saved, and the fourth person remained trapped inside the car as it was taken by the raging waters, according to the Boston Globe.
Efforts from the state police and Maine Warden Service, in conjunction with the Mexico police, have been persistent in the ongoing search for the missing individuals. The perilous conditions have led to several road closures around Mexico, with some residential areas completely inaccessible, as emergency teams deploy boats to extract residents ensnared by the floodwaters.
Authorities are urging the public to heed the warnings and stay clear of flooded regions. "The public is asked to respect road closures and to avoid entering into flooded roadways," state police pleaded, Salvage operations continue not just for the missing but also to aid the community bound by water as Mexico, a small town counting roughly 2,600 souls, finds itself in the throes of nature's unpredictable temperament.
