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Sequoyah County Water Rescue Team Receives Donation To Repair Unusable Boat

SALLISAW (KFSM) – The Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office received a donation from Walmart Monday (Jan. 25) for $1,000. The money will go toward an outboard motor ...

SALLISAW (KFSM) – The Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office received a donation from Walmart Monday (Jan. 25) for $1,000.

The money will go toward an outboard motor for one of the rescue boats used by the Swift Water Rescue Team, according to Sheriff Ron Lockhart.

He said the team has boats in Sallisaw, Vian, Muldrow, and one near Gore by the Illinois River. The boat near Gore has been unusable for the past two or three years.

"It was not useable at the time because we had just obtained the Zodiac. It’s a swift water Zodiac raft to go out on swift water,” Lockhart said. “So we had the raft, or the Zodiac, but we didn't have a motor!”

He said he ordered the motor Monday, and it cost about $3,000.

“Hopefully in the next week we'll have that motor in and ready to go for the spring whenever we have so many rescues there on the Illinois River,” he said.

Lockhart said this isn't the first time the retailer has given money to the department; it happens about once a year.

About 14 people have been rescued from swift water in the past year. Two duck hunters were rescued this weekend after their boat capsized on the Arkansas River.

The Swift Water Rescue Team is made up of members of the sheriff’s office, Emergency Management Department, and firefighters throughout the county.

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