Swift waters causing concern after child drowns in Soddy-Daisy
The Big Soddy Creek following days of rain on Monday, the day after a child drowned in the creek.
SODDY-DAISY, Tenn. (WDEF)- A group of Hamilton County first responders waded through rushing waters Monday afternoon after they were called to a water rescue in Soddy-Daisy.
The Big Soddy Creek Gulf comes down off of Walden’s Ridge into the town below.
This creek has become a popular swimming spot in the summer, however with recent rains it has created a deadly combination.
Soddy-Daisy Police say they received that call around 3:30 p.m.
After 4 hours of a swift water rescue operation they found that a 10 year old boy had drowned.
Captain Tyler Stout of the Soddy-Daisy Fire Department described the effort as, “We utilized swift water, rope gear, and tried to get to the patient as quickly as possible.”
Stout says the conditions along Big Soddy Creek Gulf and other streams like the North Chickamauga Creek change rapidly with large amounts of rain due to their steep elevation changes.
Radar estimates from the National Weather Service show that the area surrounding the park have seen over a half foot rain over the past week.
Stout said, “It doesn’t take any time at all depending on how much rainfall we’ve had and over the span of the area it’s got to drain somewhere. so when it funnels down through there, it can change.”
When we went to the creek on Tuesday, we saw that the water was rapidly rushing down the mountain, creating the dangerous conditions that led to this tragedy.
Stout said, “I think people need to be aware that just because it might not currently be raining where they are at, the water is changing and they should just be mindful that it might not look like it’s moving that fast but it possibly can be.”
He says that preparedness is key in preventing future tragedies.
Stout recommended, “A life jacket always helps, having maybe even a throwable device or something that they can hang onto if they do get in trouble.”
It’s worth noting that the North Chickamauga Gorge State Park is closed for the year for state park facility construction, as Stout says he believes that will drive more foot traffic to Big Soddy Creek Gulf.
The identity of the victim has not been released.
