Firefighter hopes good Samaritan will find his wallet

DESLOGE — Volunteer Firefighter Chris Wiles is banking on karma for the return of his wallet. Wiles responded to a water rescue on Friday on Cedar Falls Road. The Desloge Fire Department rescued a Bonne Terre woman and her grandson who were trapped in a vehicle by flash flooding. Over the course of the rescue Wiles lost his wallet.

“I was in the vehicle (the Desloge Fire Department’s brush truck) that went out into the water to get the woman and her grandson,” Wiles said. “I put my wallet in the glove box and that was the last time I saw it.”

Wiles said he doesn’t know if the wallet fell out into the water or if someone took it.

“I’m really confused by the whole thing,” he said. “All my identification and credit cards were in it. I couldn’t even get money out of my bank account. I didn’t have my ATM card and I didn’t have identification to go inside the bank and get it. Luckily, I was able to get a new driver’s license yesterday (Thursday).”

Desloge Fire Chief Larry Gremminger drove the department’s brush vehicle into approximately four feet of water to retrieve the woman and her grandson. No one was injured in the rescue.

Wiles described his wallet as a Bi-fold cowboy style wallet with the Professional Bull Riders logo on it. It is black and brown.

“There is no mistaking that it is mine,” he said. “I probably had 15 forms of identification in it. All the IDs and cards that were in it are worth more to me than the cash I had in it. If anyone found it, please return it to me.”

Wiles said anyone who has the wallet can give it to any local police officer or can take it to the Desloge City Hall.

Chris Cline is a reporter for the Daily Journal. Contact him at 573-431-2010, ext. 114 or at ccline@dailyjournalonline.com.