Heavy rainfall provided realistic training Wednesday for Shelbyville's Swift Water Rescue Team

Wednesday, March 4, 2026 at 1:55 PM

Shelbyville’s Swift Water Rescue Team typically trains together the first Wednesday of every month.

The specialty unit comprised of Shelbyville firefighters and Shelby County Sheriff deputies took full advantage of Tuesday’s rainfall that surged the Little Blue River to get boat maneuverability training Wednesday at Blue River Memorial Park in Shelbyville.

The east side of Blue River Memorial Park had standing water Wednesday morning and a steady current flowing along the kayak entrance where the rescue team staged for training runs.

While the current of the river was an issue, according to fire department Lieutenant and swift water rescue team member Derrek Tennell, debris floating along the current can quickly damage boat motors.

Not long after, a large tree trunk went bobbing by the kayak entrance.

Tennell stated the first flood of the year typically moves a large amount of debris including trees, branches and corn stalks at damaging speeds.

With more rain in the forecast, Tennell urged people to avoid driving into high water areas and maintain caution around rivers and streams where the current may be deceiving.

The Shelby County Post is a digital newspaper producing news, sports, obituaries and more without a pay wall or subscription needed.