Safety Concerns At Lake Poinsett

LAKE POINSETT, SD -  
The higher water is causing some unusual safety concerns around Lake Poinsett. It forced the local propane guy to go looking for trouble floating in the flood.

"It must have floated away because that's where it is when we fill it," Tracy Freeseman with Estelline Community Oil said.

Freeseman is making the rounds along North Shore Drive on Lake Poinsett.

"We're out just after last night's rain, just worried about some of the propane tanks that are here that are floating or possibly going to start floating," Freeseman said.

In fact, one propane tank did start floating at one point, but the homeowner drove fence posts into the muck and then used chains and sandbags to secure it.

Freeseman is visiting more than just his regular customers; he's stopping by every home along the drive.

"We're just out here checking all of them. We deliver to some of these, but not all, but we'll check them all," Freeseman said.

If Freeseman finds a floating tank belonging to another company, he'll try to contact the homeowner or help if he can.

"We just want to see if there's any way we can secure them or make them safe," Freeseman said.

But with more rain in the forecast and the lake on the rise, Freeseman is sure he'll be back here at some point with waders in tow.

Freeseman says the next time he delivers propane to the lake he's going to need a longer hose because he can't drive right up to the tanks anymore.