A Boone County mother is reflecting on the harrowing events of June 18, when her 13-year-old daughter's life was saved after being trapped in a culvert at Crooked Creek. Meagan Hoyt shared how a swift rescue by family members and emergency responders brought her daughter, Karli Hoyt, back from the brink.
The incident occurred while Meagan was at work at North Arkansas College. Her children had gone swimming at Busch’s Slab on Crooked Creek under the supervision of Meagan’s significant other’s family. Despite the water being shallow, Harmon Volunteer Fire Chief Levi Lowrey told KTLO News that it was swift enough to sweep Karli into a culvert under a low-water bridge.
Karli lost consciousness after being trapped and was in respiratory failure and cardiac arrest by the time she was freed. Meagan’s significant other, Allan Krygowski, and Karli’s 12-year-old brother, Dax Hoyt, worked to remove her from the culvert and performed life-saving measures until emergency services arrived on the scene. Krygowski’s mother had already called 911 during the frantic moments when Karli remained unresponsive.
Karli was transported to Mercy Hospital, where doctors gave her a 50% chance of survival. She spent three days on an ECMO machine, eight days on a ventilator, and a total of two and a half weeks in the hospital. During her recovery, Meagan recalled moments when Karli, still on a ventilator, used sign language to communicate. Her first meal after leaving the hospital was bacon and pancakes at a nearby IHOP.
Remarkably, Karli returned to Valley Springs School as an eighth grader last month and has resumed basketball practice. While she experiences lingering headaches from pressure behind her optic nerve, Meagan says the teenager otherwise shows little sign of her ordeal.
Last month, the Hoyt family recognized the first responders who contributed to saving Karli’s life. Members of the Harmon Volunteer Fire Department and Boone County Sheriff’s Office received awards from the family. According to Meagan, emergency personnel credited Allan and Dax's immediate response, particularly their CPR efforts, with Karli’s survival.
Although Karli has no memory of the traumatic event, her mother says the incident is a reminder of the importance of quick thinking in life-threatening situations.