A Paton woman is fortunate to have received only minor injuries after she was pulled from a submerged vehicle by first responders last Thursday. At approximately 5:15 p.m., the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, Gowrie Police Department and Paton, Churdan and Jefferson Fire Departments responded to a report of a vehicle floating in the West Buttrick Creek with a woman inside. According to authorities, 55-year-old Ouida Wiggins lost control of her 2003 Jeep Liberty and crashed in the waterway. Law enforcement reported the creek had swollen as a result of recent rainfall. When she went under, two first responders immediately mounted a rescue. Greene County Deputy, Shane Allen, and Nate Byerly, a member of the Churdan Fire Department, leapt into the creek and pulled Wiggins to shore. She was transported to the Greene County Medical Center by Greene County Emergency Medical Services for treatment of minor injuries. The Jeep was deemed a total loss.
