Remembering the Floyd Co. Students and Bus Driver who Perished 68 Years ago; One group of citizens found a way to make it a Legacy of Service
By Roberta Cantrell
BSN Editor
The last day of February marked such a dark moment in time for Floyd Countians.
It was 68 years ago on Feb. 28, 1958, when 26 children and their bus driver lost their lives in what is said to be at that time the “Nation’s Worst School Bus Disaster.”
The accident occurred during the morning bus route on what was a cold and cloudy morning with nearly 50 students riding on the bus as it was traveling on US RT 23 near Prestonsburg when it became stuck in the Levisa Fork and was swept downstream before beginning to sink.
Around half of the students managed to escape the sinking bus before it became totally submerged in the Big Sandy River.
The National Guard reported that emergency responders took 55 hours to locate the bus, and 500 National Guardsmen helped recover the vehicle.
Of the fatalities in the bus accident, two victims were eight-years-old, four victims were nine-years-old, one victim was 11-years-old, one victim was 12-years-old, three victims were 13-years-old, six victims were 14-years-old, five victims were 15-years-old, one victim was 16-years-old, three victims were 17-years-old, and the bus driver who died was 27-years-old.
The tragedy, however, brought neighbors together with a plan to “build something out of the grief.”
Out of this tragedy came the organization known as Floyd County Emergency & Rescue Squad.
A member of the squad wrote a memorial on their Facebook page on Saturday.
“On this day in 1958, tragedy struck the hills of Eastern Kentucky when a school bus carrying Floyd County children was involved in a devastating wreck. Families were changed forever, and our community was shaken to its core.
The loss was unimaginable, the grief was heavy, and the pain was felt in every hollow, every church pew, and every front porch across Floyd County.
But even in the darkest moments, something powerful rose from the heartbreak. From that tragedy came determination, from that loss came purpose, and from that sorrow came the beginning of what would become the Floyd County Emergency & Rescue Squad.
Neighbors refused to stand by helpless again; ordinary men and women stepped forward with extraordinary courage. They built something out of grief—an organization dedicated to serving, protecting, and responding when our community needed it most. What began as a response to tragedy became a legacy of service.
Today, we remember the children, the families, and the turning point that shaped emergency services in our county. May we never forget why we do this job, the cost that led to our commitment, and may we always honor them—not just with words, but with service.”