(Sioux Rapids)– A Royal man was seriously injured Saturday and had to be rescued when he dove into shallow water while canoeing on the Little Sioux River.
The Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office says 32-year-old Scott Leininger of Royal was among several passengers in the canoe. Authorities say he dove into the water after the canoe stopped at a sandbar, severely injuring his neck and head and was showing signs of paralysis. Two other occupants in the canoe managed to maneuver the canoe up against the current to a boat ramp where they contacted emergency authorities.
Rescue personnel in two flat bottom boats with medical personnel on board responded and retrieved Leininger and brought him back to the boat ramp. He was then loaded onto a life flight helicopter that had landed nearby on Highway 71 which had been shut down to allow the chopper to land. Leininger was then airlifted to a Sioux Falls hospital. No information was available on his condition.
The Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office was assisted on the scene by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Iowa State Patrol, Sioux Rapids Fire Department and the Spencer Ambulance.
