Photo: DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Unit Director Capt. Johnathon Bigham initiated a rescue in a Southaven ravine last Friday that saved two young teenage girls. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
SOUTHAVEN, Miss. — In an act underscoring a DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office motto of “Uncommon Valor is a Common Virtue,” Capt. Johnathon Bigham, a 21-year veteran of the force, is being hailed for his quick and decisive actions in rescuing two teenage girls from a vehicle submerged in fast-moving floodwaters this past Friday morning.
The incident, which occurred on Church Road at Tchulahoma Road, happened right in front of Capt. Bigham, the Search and Rescue Unit Director for the department, who was sitting in traffic. He witnessed a vehicle crash which got thrown into a water-filled ravine—an area known for drainage after heavy rain.
Swift Action, No Time for Gear
Recognizing the severity of the situation and the immediate danger posed by the water current, which he estimated was flowing at around 10 miles per hour and reached three feet deep at the rear of the vehicle, Capt. Bigham immediately contacted dispatch and then ran to the wreckage.
“I didn’t wait for backup,” Capt. Bigham stated. “That vehicle was fixing to get swept away, and there wasn’t time to grab gear.”
Capt. Bigham’s extensive training in swift water rescue—a certification he and his volunteer team spend hundreds of hours mastering through local partnerships with the YMCA, the Red Cross, and others—kicked in instantly.
The initial challenge was accessing the two occupants, a 16- and 17-year-old girl. After an initial struggle with the doors, a momentary power surge allowed him to unlock the car. He quickly assessed the teenagers, noting they were dazed from the collision and airbag deployment—one with an airbag burn—but remarkably unaware they were in water.
“They thought they were still on the road because everything happened so quickly,” he recounted.
The Value of Calm and Preparedness
Capt. Bigham’s priority was keeping the victims calm. He instructed them on the necessity of getting into the water to escape.
“It’s important to remain calm. You will over-breathe or hyperventilate and could pass out,” Capt. Bigham advised. If either had lost consciousness and been swept under the vehicle, the situation would have turned into “a whole other ballgame.”
With the teens safely out and entrusted to a quick-acting bystander, Capt. Bigham checked on other vehicles involved in the crash. The entire incident was documented by a local resident, providing the first documentation of such a swift water rescue in the department’s recent history—a factor that has brought widespread attention and praise to the department.
The critical moments spent trying to open the doors highlighted a need for specific equipment. Capt. Bigham noted that had he had a spring-loaded center punch—a small tool designed to shatter vehicle glass—he could have accessed the girls even faster.
Capt. Bigham expressed gratitude for the positive public reaction and reiterated the department’s unwavering commitment: “I was doing what I was supposed to do, and I would have done it for anybody. We, as a sheriff’s department, would have done the same thing for anybody.”
The ravine at Church and Tchulahoma roads in Southaven that became the scene of a daring rescue by DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Director Capt. Johnathon Bigham. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
Bob Bakken provides content for DeSoto County News and its social media channels. He is an award-winning broadcaster, along with being a reporter and photographer, and has done sports media relations work with junior and minor league hockey teams. Along with his reports on this website, you will find this veteran media member providing sports updates on Rebel 95.3 FM Radio.
