White County first responders handled two emergency incidents Wednesday evening, including the evacuation of a nursing home and a river rescue.
Carmi Fire Chief Daniel Ballard said firefighters were called to Carmi Manor shortly after 8:15 p.m. after smoke filled the front corridor of the facility. Staff had already begun evacuating residents when crews arrived. Although no fire was located, the source of the smoke remains undetermined, with officials saying it may have been electrical in nature.
As a precaution, all 43 residents were relocated to Ridgway with assistance from Carmi-White County Unit 5 school buses. A few residents were transported by ambulance to Hamilton Memorial Hospital after being exposed to the extreme heat during the evacuation. Wabash Senior Living also assisted with the response.
Later that evening, emergency crews responded to the Little Wabash River after receiving a report that two boaters had lost their motor and could not be contacted by phone. Fire and rescue personnel launched boats to search the river, with additional watercraft responding from Gallatin County.
The two individuals were located safely and brought back to shore without injury.