Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers in the patrol’s helicopter used a short-haul rescue line to rescue two turkey hunters who were stranded by floodwaters in Texas County Thursday afternoon. One of the men was confined to a wheelchair.

According to a news release, Troop G Headquarters received a telephone call from an individual reporting two turkey hunters trapped by flood waters near Boiling Springs, south of Licking, Missouri. The caller stated that one of the men was confined to a wheelchair and the two men were unable to escape from a field due to rising water.

A trooper and firefighters from the Licking Fire Department responded to the scene, and after assessing the situation, determined that because of the extremely inaccessible location, rescue by air would be the best course of action.

A Missouri State Highway Patrol helicopter was dispatched from the Patrol’s general headquarters in Jefferson City, and a short haul rescue of the two men was completed at 5:23 p.m. Thursday.

The men were identified as Keith Duckworth, 54, and Wayne Arling, 53, both of St. Louis, Missouri. Duckworth was transported to a St. Louis area hospital for evaluation and treatment related to exposure.

The patrol’s rescue program is FAA certified and allows the Patrol to provide a capability that few law enforcement agencies in the Midwest possess.