A sports radio announcer was killed when he emerged from a clogged truck and was dragged by a furious flood in Iowa, authorities said.
The torrential storm hit Saturday night in the Midwest, bringing more than 7 inches of rain in a few hours to Des Moines, and triggered dozens of rescues and water evacuations, officials said.
One of the rescue calls was for people trapped in a truck on a flooded street in Des Moines around 8:50 p.m. local time, according to the police.
jeffjaeger2 "When the officers responded, it was reported that the occupants had left the van and that one person, a 66-year-old resident of Des Moines, had been dragged by the waters of the floods. "Sgt. Paul Parizek, of the Des Moines Police Department, said in a statement.
The man's body was recovered at 12:39 a.m. Sunday, several blocks from where the van stopped, Parizek said.
He was identified on Sunday morning as Larry Bruce Cotlar, a local sports radio host who hosted the weekly radio show "Cotlar and Company" at 1350 ESPN in Iowa. He was also the play-by-play announcer for the male basketball games of Drake University.
"All of us at 1350 ESPN and the Des Moines radio group are devastated by the loss of our voice, our colleague and our friends, Larry Cotlar," the radio station said in a statement on Sunday. "Larry was the voice of sports in downtown Iowa.
1350 ESPN "Today, our thoughts are with his wife, Deb, and his son, Zach.There is absolutely nothing that replaces Larry.Your family, friends and extended families will think about it lovingly and will be greatly lost in sports. and broadcasting communities. "
Storms continued to move through parts of the Midwest on Sunday, with additional floods possible.
The slow electrical storms in the Midwest brought torrential rains to central Iowa on Saturday night, including 7.3 inches of rain in a few hours, causing widespread flash floods in Des Moines.
More storms are expected on Sunday afternoon from Illinois to Michigan and Wisconsin, with damaging winds, large hail and possible brief tornadoes.
It is possible to rain two to four inches from northern Iowa to Wisconsin, with any slow-moving storm capable of triggering flash floods.
@PFF_Matt A.J. Mumm, director of Polk County Emergency Management, told ABC News that dozens of water rescues took place on Saturday night after numerous reports of flooding began arriving around 7:30 p.m. Mumm said rescuers saved several people trapped in the vehicles by the flood waters and had to evacuate a nursing home.
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