PRESS RELEASE
HIGH-WATER RESCUE AT RED CREEK OFF-ROAD
APRIL 15, 2018
The George County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with several other agencies, responded to numerous calls for assistance at the Red Creek Off-Road RV campground, located in the Vestry Community of George County, in the morning hours of Sunday, April 15th, 2018. After significant rainfall inundated the area creeks and rivers, the waters around the campground began to rise, causing many campers and event participants to become stranded in the off-road park, where roads were quickly made impassable by anything other than a boat. Shortly after 8:00 a.m. Sunday morning, the George County E-911 center received a message relayed by Jackson County Dispatch, stating that there were several people trapped by the rising waters. Sheriff Keith Havard and George County EMA Director Nancy Smith quickly coordinated a search and rescue operation. Deputies from the George County Sheriff’s Office and Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, members of the George County and Jackson County Search and Rescue teams, MS Department of Marine Resources, MS Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, MS Department of Transportation, George County and Jackson County Emergency Management Agencies, United States Coast Guard (Mobile, AL), Acadian Ambulance Service, ASAP Ambulance Service, and George County First Responders all worked together to rescue by boat and air approximately 80 individuals. The rescue operations are believed complete as of 5:00 p.m. Sunday evening. George County EMA Director Nancy Smith estimates that over 9.0 inches of rain fell over western George County in the last 24 hours. Rivers are expected to crest overnight Sunday into Monday morning. Sheriff Havard and his staff would like to thank all those that participated in this successful rescue effort, and he would like to remind the citizens of George County to remain watchful over the next 24-48 hours, as the flood-prone areas in our county are still at risk.
Authorized for release by Sheriff Keith Havard.