Two Children Drown After SUV Sinks in Slough West of Jamestown

Two children, identified as 10-year-old Kamari Lawson and 7-year-old Logan Lawson, drowned after an SUV left Interstate 94 and sank in a slough roughly 10 miles west of Jamestown near Exit 248 in Eldridge. Their bodies were recovered about four hours after the vehicle went into the water.

The crash occurred on Monday, July 15. Passersby, including Kluting and Botner, sprang into action and began rescuing occupants from the water before emergency crews reached the scene. A mother and a daughter were seriously hurt when the SUV went off the interstate and sank, according to local accounts. First responders arrived after the initial bystander rescue efforts.

The loss of Kamari and Logan has immediate human consequences for a tight-knit Stutsman County community where neighbors frequently rely on one another across long distances. Bystander intervention appears to have reduced additional harm in this incident, but the deaths of two young children underline persistent safety risks where high-speed rural highways meet water hazards such as sloughs and drainage ditches.

From a public health perspective, the crash highlights multiple concerns. Rural emergency response systems must balance long travel distances with the need for rapid access to drowning victims, who can become unrecoverable in minutes. Training in water rescue and basic life support for first responders and community members can be life-saving, and local health providers and emergency managers may consider reviewing protocols and resources for incidents along Interstate 94 corridors. Mental health services and grief counseling will also be important for the Lawson family, the rescuers, first responders, and school-aged peers who will feel the impact of these deaths.

The community impact extends to policy questions about roadway design and signage near known water hazards, as well as outreach about winter- and spring-season roadway conditions that can lead to vehicles leaving the pavement. Eldridge and Jamestown residents who travel Exit 248 frequently will be asking how similar tragedies can be prevented and what supports will be available for the families affected.

As Stutsman County mourns, local officials, emergency services and health partners face decisions about training, equipment and prevention measures that could reduce the risk of future drownings. For neighbors and commuters, the immediate steps are to check on one another, offer support to the Lawson family, and participate in community conversations about road and water safety in the weeks ahead.