Police, fire, paramedics and volunteers drove area roads Tuesday night taking turns blowing their sirens in the hope a woman trapped in the wreckage of her van would hear the sirens or see the flashing lights to help them find her.
The victim, Amanda Beaver, stayed on her cell phone with Winfield police dispatcher Dennis Wilkinson during the rescue operation.
"We found her," said police spokesman Floyd Clarkson who helped direct the search. "She’s a very lucky lady."
The drama began shortly before 11 p.m. when Beaver called 911 for help. She said she was on her way to Burden, indicated something about a gravel road, then referred to a blacktop, a lake and a thicket of trees. She was also trapped in her van.
With the help of GPS coordinates from the 20-year-old Winfield woman’s cell phone, the search area was confined to area near the Cowley 19 and Cowley 9 junction (132nd and 101st Roads) north of the Winfield Correctional Facility.
Finally, Beaver told Wilkinson she could hear sirens. One by one the sirens were turned off – all but one. Beaver could still hear the siren and rescuers knew they were close. Then she saw flashing lights – but they passed her by.
Some emergency workers began walking the area, using flashlights, looking for any clues that would help direct them to her location. Then she said someone was next to her, she thought it was a fire truck. Finally, Beaver started yelling and was surprised no one could hear her.
Then one of the searchers announced "we believe we’ve located the patient. She’s way off the highway. We can all hear her screaming."
The Winfield woman was east of a creek and north of Cowley 18 when paramedics found her. Approximately 30 minutes had passed from the time she called 911.
"Fortunately, we were successful," Clarkson said. "It kind of worked like it was supposed to."
Winfield police, the sheriff’s office, two fire vehicles, paramedics and neighbors all helped find the woman.
"We was able to communicate and able to keep the cell phone connection," Clarkson said.
Beaver was evaluated at William Newton Hospital and then released, according to a relative at her home Wednesday morning.
