Published on July 21, 2025 8:49 am
Last Updated on July 21, 2025 8:49 am
(DIVE RESCUE TEAM MEMBERS AND OTHER EMERGENCY SERVICE PERSONNEL ASSIST AT THE SCENE)
A local man was taken for treatment after his pickup truck drove over an embankment at Lake Sara and ended up in the water.
The incident happened around 2pm Sunday in the area of the lake known as Gypsy Cove. Effingham Area Dive Rescue Team Commander Terry Trueblood said the driver, identified as Ron White, was traveling west on Park Road. The road ends and traffic has to turn south. White’s pickup, though, continued traveling straight and went over the embankment and down the hill toward the lake. Trueblood said the pickup struck a tree on the way down the hill and that slowed the vehicle. The unit continued across a driveway on property owned by Susan Jennings, then partially into the water.
Trueblood said the dive team was doing training, so were two minutes away. The dive team got White out of the pickup and back on shore. Tri-Power Towing pulled the pickup across the cove and up out of the water.
White was taken for treatment to HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital in Effingham.
Effingham County Sheriff’s Office and Shumway Fire Protection District assisted at the scene.
