Firefighters rescued an elderly couple from their home surrounded by water in Antioch amid flooding in Lake and McHenry counties caused by overflowing rivers and lakes.
The Antioch Fire Department said red shift crews ran into a “bit of an unusual” call on Saturday.
They received a call from an elderly couple that was unable to get out of their home due to the floodwaters.
Firefighters geared up in gumby suits, commonly known as a water rescue suit, and made their way through the floodwater to rescue the couple.
Firefighters initially were going to use a boat but ran into accessibility issues with the fences around the home.
Fire crews ultimately used a stair chair to lift the couple above the water to keep them dry.
They then carried them in the stair chair to dry land.
“It’s calls like this where our training and critical thinking skills come in to have the best outcome possible,” the fire department said.
Flood warnings remain in effect for Lake County and McHenry County until further notice following heavy rainfall this past week.
Numerous roads, yards, structures and parkland are expected to flood along the Fox River, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.
River gauges along the Fox River Chain of Lakes indicated slowly rising water levels due to the rainfall.
Water levels may reach major flood stage by the middle of next week and remain above flood stage potentially for several weeks, the NWS said.
Impacts from the flood may be similar to those experienced in May 1973, October 1986 or June 2008.
Some locations that will experience flooding include areas along the Fox River Chain of Lakes, including Nippersink Lake, Fox Lake, Pistakee Lake, Petite Lake, Lake Marie, Channel Lake and Lake Catherine.
The NWS also said that a flood warning is in effect for areas surrounding the Des Plaines River in Lake County amid “moderate flooding.”
The river stage was 10.7 feet at 10:30 a.m. Sunday but the river is expected to gradually fall over the next several days. The flood stage is seven feet.
Route 41 is threatened near the river in Gurnee when it reaches 11 feet. The Mundelein Water Reclamation Facility property is threatened near Libertyville.
Residents along the Fox River in McHenry County have begun sandbagging as local officials say they encourage residents to monitor the rapidly changing conditions and take appropriate actions, including relocation if water approaches or enters their property.