A 27-year-old Florida man is facing multiple criminal charges after police said he fled from a crash and entered a swamp while carrying two young children.
The incident involving Isaac Kinsey began at about 4am on September 9 on Highway 33 in Lakeland, Florida, when his vehicle allegedly drove through a road-closure sign before striking sandbags positioned in a construction zone.
According to police, the vehicle eventually stopped against exposed tree roots.
Kinsey is alleged to have left the crash site on foot.
Officers arriving at the scene soon discovered two empty child-safety seats inside the vehicle, prompting an urgent search for Kinsey and the children who were believed to have been with him.
Drone Spots Kinsey Deep in the Marsh
Roughly 30 minutes into the search, a drone operator located Kinsey in a wooded and swampy area south of the crash site.
Drone footage showed him moving through marsh water while carrying a two-year-old child and a 10-month-old baby.
The difficult terrain appeared to make the journey increasingly dangerous.
Kinsey was seen falling repeatedly, with the children going underwater during several of the falls.
At one point, the footage appeared to show Kinsey leaving the two-year-old behind while continuing through the swamp with the infant.
He subsequently fell several more times as he attempted to navigate the water and vegetation.
Officer Races Into Swamp to Reach Children
Body-camera footage captured an officer moving quickly toward the swamp after locating Kinsey and the children.
As the officer approached, a baby’s cries could be heard coming from the wooded area.
“I could hear them crying in the woods,” the officer said as the search continued.
Kinsey eventually emerged from the water with the infant and raised his hands in surrender.
He reportedly told the officer that he “did not know there was a swamp right here.”
The officer immediately focused on securing the baby and ordered Kinsey to hand over the infant.
The officer could also be heard encouraging the toddler to come toward him.
Children Taken to Hospital
Once the children were recovered, officers transported them to a local hospital for medical treatment.
Both children were treated and later released.
Back at the crash scene, one officer expressed relief upon learning that the children had been found alive.
“Ooh, thank you God for finding those kids,” the officer said.
Police Say Kinsey Showed Signs of Intoxication
Police said Kinsey admitted that he had been drinking and displayed multiple indicators of impairment when officers dealt with him.
Authorities also alleged that his driver’s license had been suspended at the time of the incident.
Kinsey is now facing three felony charges and eight misdemeanor offenses.
The charges include two counts of negligent child abuse with great bodily harm.
The allegations stem from the crash, the circumstances surrounding the children’s presence in the vehicle and the subsequent attempt to flee through the swamp.
Police Chief Condemns Conduct
Lakeland Police Chief Sammy Taylor said the circumstances surrounding the incident were deeply troubling, particularly because the children were placed in danger.
Speaking to Fox 13, Taylor said he was disturbed by what officers saw in the footage and stressed that the children could have drowned.
“It was just like a doll he was throwing around, and several times [they] went underneath the water,” Taylor said.
“I’m a father and grandfather, and it just makes your blood boil.”
The police department also said the children could have lost their lives had officers not located them.
Drone Technology Helped Locate the Children
Lakeland police credited the rapid deployment of drone technology, together with the persistence and coordination of responding officers, for helping locate Kinsey and the children in the difficult terrain.
The department said the technology allowed officers to find the group in an environment that would have been challenging to search quickly on foot.
“There is no excuse for impaired driving,” the department said.
Police also expressed relief that the two children survived and praised the officers involved in locating and rescuing them.
