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Michael Roberts, 19, of Hopkinsville was on his way home from classes at Murray State University when his car hydroplaned on the eastbound bridge approach, Marshall County Sheriff Kevin Byars said.

The car went off the left side of the road and landed upside down in a few feet of water in the lake, leaving only its bottom and tires visible, Byars said. Roberts was able to escape through the car's shattered rear window.

"He's a very lucky young man," Byars said.

A passerby stopped and allowed Roberts to warm up inside her vehicle until emergency workers could arrive. Roberts was treated at Murray-Calloway County Hospital and released.

U.S. 68 was closed in both directions for about an hour so Roberts' car could be pulled from the water, Byars said.

McCracken County emergency workers rescued two men from atop the pickup truck they were riding in Monday evening after their truck ran off Noble Road and into high water shortly before 7 p.m.

James Bass, 30, of West Paducah was driving on Noble Road near Johnson Road in the High Point community of west McCracken County when he apparently lost control of his pickup, which ran down a 20-foot embankment, McCracken County Emergency Management Director Kent King said.

A creek at the bottom of the embankment had flooded, leaving the truck in about 5 feet of water, King said.

Bass and passenger Zachary Henley, 20, of Paducah, were stranded.

"They were standing on top of the truck -- cold, rain-soaked and their truck almost entirely under water," King said.

Two swift-water divers from the McCracken County Disaster and Emergency Services Rescue Squad went out about 30 feet into the water to the truck and got the men into an inflatable boat. Concord firefighters formed a human chain to pull the men up the embankment and into waiting ambulances, King said.

The two men were shivering and appeared to have some symptoms of hypothermia, King said.

"I don't think anybody could have been more happy to see blue lights than these guys," he said.

Bass was taken to Western Baptist Hospital, where he was being evaluated late Monday.

Henley was treated at Lourdes hospital. Upon his release, he was arrested on a charge of possession of marijuana and jailed. Rescuers had found marijuana in his clothing while he was inside an ambulance, Sheriff Jon Hayden said.

The National Weather Service issued a flood warning at 7:25 p.m. Monday. It was set to expire at 1:30 a.m. today, but a flood watch was to continue until dawn. Paducah had received 2.48 inches of rain by 9 p.m. Monday, according to the weather service. Up to 4 inches was expected.

Water had covered a few McCracken County roads, Hayden said. They included Houser Road at Old Mayfield Road and at the S curves, Lambert Drive at Old Mayfield Road, and Mayfield-Metropolis Road at old U.S. 60. Kentucky Department of Highways spokesman Keith Todd said water also covered Ky. 94 both east and west of Hickman.

Meteorologist David Humphrey said a low pressure storm was pushing moisture into western Kentucky, causing the steady light to moderate rain.

Humphrey said he expected the rain to change over to snow mid-morning as temperatures drop to near freezing.

The snow should end this afternoon, he said. Minor snow accumulation is possible.

Written by The Paducah Sun