BROOK, Ind. — An Indiana resident, Brieonna Cassell, faced a harrowing ordeal after a car accident left her trapped with severe leg injuries. Her survival relied on an ingenious method of hydrating herself by using a sweatshirt to draw water from a nearby creek, officials reported.
The incident was discovered when a worker managing drainage equipment spotted Cassell’s vehicle off the road on Tuesday near Brook, Sheriff Shannon Cothran of Newton County shared in a statement on social media.
The worker notified his supervisor, who doubles as a fire chief, about the vehicle. Together, they approached the car and found Cassell inside. She was conscious and communicative, according to the sheriff. Assistance was called from several agencies, and the 41-year-old resident from Wheatfield was safely removed from the vehicle and airlifted to a hospital in Chicago.
Cassell had been missing for several days prior to being found, her family having reported her absence earlier, according to the sheriff. Cassell’s ordeal began last Thursday night when she fell asleep at the wheel and her car veered into a ditch, her father, Delmar Caldwell, revealed to ABC News. The vehicle was not visible from the road.
According to Caldwell, Cassell suffered injuries to her legs and wrist, and her mobile phone was discovered beneath the passenger seat.
“She remained stuck in the car, unable to escape,” Caldwell explained. “Nevertheless, she managed to access water from inside the vehicle,” he added. Cassell managed to dip her hooded sweatshirt into the creek and bring it to her mouth to drink.
As of Wednesday, Cassell was reported to be in stable condition at the hospital, preparing for surgery due to complications in the healing process of her legs. This update was shared by her mother and relayed by Sheriff Cothran on social media.
Both of her legs, along with her wrist, are fractured, as stated in a GoFundMe campaign established to assist with her medical expenses. During the days she was missing, family members made concerted efforts to find her, searching extensively along roads and ditches.
Sheriff Cothran noted that although the road to recovery will be lengthy, Cassell is anticipated to make a full recovery.
