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Elderly man drowns, wife rescued more than 24 hours later near Neches River in Jasper County

They left the camp some time on Wednesday to get groceries and on the way back to the camp they got stuck.

JASPER COUNTY, Texas — An elderly man's wife spent more than 24 hours floating on an ATV after the 79-year-old man drowned near the Neches River northwest of Buna.

M. M. Kelly lived at a camp on the Neches River where the two had been stranded since Wednesday due to the rising water according to the Jasper County Sheriff's Office.

They left the camp some time on Wednesday on an 8-wheeled ATV to go get groceries and on their way back to the camp they got stuck and tied the ATV to a tree.

The ATV, an "Argo 8x8 750 HDi," is listed on the manufacturer's website as being amphibious.

Credit: KBMT
The man and his caregiver were headed back to the camp along the Neches River in Jasper County on their ATV when they got stuck.

Kelly left the caregiver on the ATV and attempted go back to dry land to get help but drowned according to the sheriff's office.

The wife then spent two nights alone on the ATV.

She then flagged down two men who who showed up at about 8 a.m. Friday morning to go fishing according to the sheriff's office.

Buna firefighters and Jasper County firefighters and game wardens responded and rescued the caregiver and then recovered the man's body for the water.

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This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.

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