Raging flood waters claimed the life of an Argonia volunteer firefighter, Saturday night, after he attempted to save eight people, three of them emergency workers.
    Dennis Rhodes, 47, of Argonia was killed when he decided to walk out into the Chikaskia River to the trapped victims. 
    The rescue unit leader directed Rhodes to remain out of the water and to not attempt an individual rescue, said Sumner County Emergency Management Director James Fair.
    After entering the river, Rhodes lost his balance and was swept under the current until he was retrieved by emergency workers. Members of the rescue crew brought Rhodes back to shore — performing CPR and transporting him to an area hospital.
    The tragic ending started at around 8 p.m., when Argonia Fire, Argonia EMS, the Sumner County Sheriff’s Department and Sumner County Emergency Management were notified by Sumner County 911 dispatch of five people stuck on the Chikaskia just south of the City of Argonia after attempting to raft, Fair said.
    Miranda Brozovich, Rylee Doll, Jordan Fields, Wesley Gilbert, all 19, and a minor female had put their raft into the river at the bridge on south Argonia Road and started floating eastward, Fair said. Problems occurred for the group after their raft went over a concrete diversion dam and became trapped in the undertow of the bottom side of the dam. None of the five were wearing life jackets, Fair said.
    At 9:30 p.m., Wellington Fire/EMS made a first attempt at a rescue. Wellington Fire Chief John Lloyd said his crew did all they could to help the rafters and had a plan in place when they entered the water. But the plan failed and three emergency workers ended up in the river.
    Lloyd said, the plan was to take a small boat out to the rafters and take them back to shore two at a time. The fire chief stands by the original plan saying the rafters caused the boat to capsize, sending two Wellington firefighters and a EMS worker and diver from Conway Springs into the fast-moving water.
    “They got life jackets to all of them and then got two in, and from what was reported by our crews the rest of them tried to get in the boat too,” Lloyd said.
    “They had their plan set. They assisted what they needed to do before they even put the boat in...that’s all you can do. It was nothing that was rushed into,” Lloyd said. “They felt comfortable in what they planned to do and it is what it is and when you are dealing with swift water it is very dangerous.”
    The speed of the water in relation to the size of the boat and the number of people in it is what sent the crew sprawling, Lloyd said.
    Wichita Fire and Rescue was called out with an additional swift water rescue team who arrived on scene at 11:30 p.m. At 12:45 a.m., Lloyd said all victims were safely out of the water and either transported to Harper Hospital or Sumner Regional Medical Center for observation.
    Throughout the entire ordeal, no injuries were reported to anyone other than Rhodes who was later pronounced dead at Via Christi St. Francis.
    “It’s tragic, absolutely tragic,” said Lloyd. “It’s very emotional for everyone concerned.”
    Conway Springs Fire, Conway Springs EMS, Mayfield Fire, Norwich EMS, and Harper County Emergency Management also assisted with the call.
    Rhodes is the second death related to the recent flooding. Robert N. Bennett, 64, of Sedgwick was found early Saturday by a grader operator who was inspecting barricades in the 1200 block of North West Street in Sedgwick. It is believed Bennett drove through deep water there with his Chevy Blazer.
    Bennett was married to Carol Harris, originally of Wellington, according her aunt Dorothy Troutman. The two met and got married, eventually moving to the Sedgwick area.