By: Matt Scher, [email protected]
Algona, IA – Kossuth County deputies responded to a stranded man who had passed out due to the extreme cold Monday morning in rural Algona.
According to a press release The Kossuth County Sheriff’s office received a 911 call that a person was passed out and suffering from hypothermia at about 9:18 a.m. The person was reported to be inside a vehicle that was stuck in a large snowdrift located on 230th St. about one half mile west of 90th Ave., also known as Co. Rd P-30.
When deputies arrived at the scene, the roadway was drifted closed due to strong winds, which made it difficult to reach the stranded individual. The Kossuth County Road Department and the County Engineer dispatched a plow to the area to assist a Sheriff’s Deputy and family members in reaching the man in the vehicle. Algona Ambulance transported him to Kossuth Regional, where he was treated for severe hypothermia and low glucose levels where he was released later that day.
Through the investigation, the individual stranded, identified by the Kossuth County Sheriff’s Office as 43-year-old Michael Riggert of rural Algona, had left his residence with the family dog shortly after midnight. He became stuck in a drift and attempted to shovel his vehicle free. The dog accidentally bumped the door lock, leaving Riggert stranded outside. He broke out a window to regain entry and stayed inside the vehicle due to extreme wind chills until his vehicle ran out of gas. The family dog was reported to be in good condition.
Assisting the Kossuth County Sheriff’s Office were Algona EMS, Kossuth County Road Department, Iowa State Patrol, and Riggert’s family members.