13-Year-Old Canton Boy Rescued From Flood

Canton, SD

Homes are flooded, roads are washed out and the process of cleaning up has just started.

The severe storms that rolled through Canton Monday night are having a major impact on homeowners.  Officials say 8.5 inches of rain fell on the Lincoln County town during the Monday night storm.

The rain was so heavy and Beaver Creek, which runs through town, rose so fast that many couldn't get out of their homes fast enough.

The memories are still fresh for 13-year-old Dylan Suhr.

"Just covered the road and nobody can get really anywhere," Suhr said as he described the rising water in Lincoln County.

With his mom stuck at the Canton truck stop Monday night because of the flooded roads, Suhr was riding out the storm by himself. Beaver Creek, which sits in his backyard, was rising quickly.

"It's all over the road and it started coming down my driveway slowly and it started coming in my grass and it circled my whole house," Suhr said.

Suhr's mom called the fire department and the 13-year-old strapped on a life jacket. Just after 9 p.m. Monday, firefighters showed up at his front door in a boat.

"They drove right up in my yard. The yard was full of water. They could go as far as they could and I had to walk in some water to get to the boat," Suhr said.

Suhr left behind two of the family's black labs and when he returned to the flooded house Tuesday, friends were already in the process of rescuing them.

"We wanted to do something to help somebody," Melody McConnell said.

Jessie Oliver and McConnell were among the group of four that ventured down the flooded roads in their large SUV and saved Suhr's two black labs Tuesday afternoon.

"When you see the whole community flooding and people not even able to get in and out of Canton, it's kind of scary but nice to see the community getting together," McConnell said.

Now the teen and his dogs are back together after riding out a storm that is unlike anything he's ever seen.

"Probably 100 year flood. It's never got this high before," Suhr said.

The Lincoln County Emergency Manager says most of the main highways are open in Lincoln County but he says drivers should use extreme caution because several rural roads are still under water or washed out.

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