Polk County Man Arrested After Falling Into River
What kind of day is it when you not only get lost in the woods, but you manage to fall into a river, get rescued, and then finally get arrested. A terrible one for Dillard Hamilton, a Polk County resident who was arrested after falling into a river.
Hamilton apparently fell into a creek after getting lost around the woods near Dawn Heights Drive near east Lakeland. He started screaming, causing a neighbor to call 911. Deputies were able to find Hamilton and rescue him. However, he was suffering from hypothermia, shivering and moving very slowly. He was rushed to a local hospital to be treated.
Once their Hamilton refused to cooperate with staff and refused treatment leading him to be discharged from the hospital. Deputies were waiting outside to arrest Hamilton because he had outstanding warrants for grand theft motor vehicle and grand theft.
“Deputies did a fantastic job with this rescue, and despite the conditions, they were able to locate Hamilton and pull him to safety rather quickly. Given his condition, they probably got to him just in time. We are also looking into why he was out there in the first place. He has a history of burglaries and thefts, so that is being investigated,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said, responding to the incident. [Source WFLA]
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