Shawneetown toddler drowned 50 feet below Ohio River
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[A girl who died Wednesday night when the truck she was inside rolled into the Ohio River south of Bunge Corporation has been identified as 17-month-old Charisma McGuire of Shawneetown, according to a release from Gallatin County Coroner Tony Cox.
Around 8 p.m. Wednesday evening a truck being driven by Jesse Oldham, of Shawneetown,rolled into the Ohio River. The vehicle totally submerged and occupant Kaylin Perry was able to escape, however, her infant daughter did not survive.
According to the release, Oldham parked his truck south of Bunge Grain and walked down to the river's edge. The vehicle, a Ford Ranger single cab, was manual transmission and the parking brake was inoperable.
According to the mother of the toddler, the girl kicked the gear shift and the vehicle rolled down the river bank and into the water. Oldham was run over by the vehicle while trying to stop it. He sustained minor injuries.
Perry tried to get the toddler out of the car seat, but was unable to do so and escaped through the window. Along with others, Oldham and Perry continued to dive for the truck after it sank but to no avail. The truck ran into an area of the river that is between 40 and 60 feet deep.
Saline County Central Dispatch received a 911 call of a vehicle with a child inside that ran off into the river at 8:15 p.m. in Old Shawneetown, according to a press release from Gallatin County Emergency Management Agency Coordinator Steve Galt.
The Shawneetown Fire Department was dispatched to the scene and was on scene within three minutes of the call. The Gallatin County Sheriff's Office and Gallatin County EMS, Shawneetown and Ridgway Police Departments also responded to the scene, located near the Bunge Corporation grain elevator.
Dive teams from Marrs Township and Perry Township in Posey and Vanderburgh County Indiana arrived to begin dive operations at about 9:45 p.m. Wednesday.
Eight boats joined in the search and recovery operation and the vehicle was located by using side scan sonar. The vehicle was about 50 feet below the surface of the water. Dive teams explained that the current was very strong at that depth, which hampered the recovery.
The vehicle was recovered with the help of divers and pulled to shore at 6:25 a.m. The deceased toddler was still in her carseat. Cox pronounced McGuire dead at the scene and was taken for autopsy.
The autopsy, performed Thursday, revealed no foul play and that the toddler had drowned.
The Illinois State Police and the Gallatin County Coroner's Office are handling the investigation. It has been deemed an accident.
Other agencies assisting with the search and recovery: Ridgway Fire Department, Old Shawneetown Fire Department, Gallatin County EMA, Med-Force EMS, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Bunge Corporation, Vernell's Towing of Marion and C&T Towing of Shawneetown.