RIPON (NBC 26) -- The Ripon Police Department is commending an officer for helping rescue a driver from frigid waters Saturday.
Police said the driver lost control in the area of W. Oshkosh St and N. Union St. on Saturday and her vehicle overturned as it went into Silver Creek. Police said the driver managed to crawl through a back window to get out of the car, but debris in the creek and cold conditions prevented her from being able to get herself out of the water. According to police, she was clinging to the car when an officer found her.
Ripon Police Officer Trevor Hanke noticed tire tracks going through a snow bank and down an incline towards Silver Creek. He checked the area and found the driver clinging to the car. Police said the driver had been in the water for up to a half hour with no one noticing her.
Police said Officer Hanke, with the help of a bystander, got in the water and helped the driver get out. The driver was taken to a hospital, where she was able to make a full recovery from cold exposure.
The Ripon Police Chief believes that if Officer Hanke had not noticed the crash, the situation could have ended tragically for the driver.
