A Bucyrus man received special recognition Friday for his actions during a March water rescue in Texas County.
Levi Stallcup was presented an “honorary trooper” award by Missouri State Highway patrol Troop G Capt. Bruce D. Fiske during a ceremony inside the Texas County Justice Center. The honorary trooper certificate is given to citizens nominated by a trooper for performing in an exemplary manner under dangerous conditions to aid another person. Stallcup, 29, was nominated due to his actions at the scene of a water rescue on Upton Road.
About 8 p.m. March 12, multiple agencies and volunteers responded to the Upton Road crossing of the west fork of Roubidoux Creek after two men – ages 61 and 57 – traveling in a pickup were swept off a low water bridge.
Upon arriving at the scene, Sgt. Dale Pounds was contacted by Stallcup, an Upton Township grader operator who offered his services to help rescue the men from the vehicle. The pickup had floated downstream from the newer bridge and become lodged against an old bridge structure.
During a first attempt – which proved to be unsuccessful – Stallcup drove the grader out onto the old bridge deck with Pounds on the front of the grader. Both occupants had gotten out of the cab and were standing in the bed of the pickup, which was mostly full of water. Pounds gave one of the vehicle occupants a life jacket and the second tried to jump to the grader, but he missed his target, fell into the stream and was washed away. He was washed downstream but able to exit of the water on his own about 9:20 p.m. near the Peace Chapel bridge.
The high water and swift current forced Pounds and Stallcup to abandon the rescue attempt.
The water eventually receded enough for Stallcup to try again, this time accompanied by Cpl. Johnathan Roberts and Trooper Cole Chatman of the patrol. After a few attempts to find the old bridge deck in the muddy, dark water, Stallcup successfully drove the grader toward the truck and the second man was rescued.
“It is an honor to present Mr. Levi Stallcup with the honorary trooper certificate,” Fiske said. “His exemplary lifesaving actions helped to aid others, while being exposed to extremely dangerous conditions. His actions were extraordinarily brave, courageous and heroic.”
An Upton Township grader driven by Levi Stallcup moves into the rain swollen waters of the west fork of Roubidoux Creek during a rescue operation March 12 in western Texas County.
Stallcup said the scene was pretty scary, but he was focused was the task at hand.
“I just tried to do something to help someone out,” he said. “I was a little nervous being in the dark and going through flood water, but there wasn’t much time to think about how the situation was until afterward, when I thought about it a lot. But there was a lot of water.”