A swollen river carried away a car in Florida after Hurricane Debby hit. The moment of the accident was captured by a police drone monitoring the area, allowing officers to quickly rush to the scene and rescue the driver from trouble.
On Monday, Florida was hit by Hurricane Debby, which later weakened to storm The storm killed at least six people, five in Florida and one in Georgia, and caused widespread damage from western Florida to South Carolina.
According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), the storm was moving between Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina, at 4.5 miles per hour Tuesday evening. Debby's slow pace, combined with heavy rainfall, poses a serious threat to residents of the southeastern United States, where devastating flooding is expected.
“Turn around and you won't drown”
A dangerous situation unfolded Tuesday in Manatee County, Florida. While patrolling the area and assessing damage with a drone, officers spotted a car driving through a flooded road. At one point, the vehicle stopped and was pulled into the waves of a nearby creek.
Manatee County RescueReuters/Manatee County Government
Rescuers rushed to the scene. They waded through thigh-deep water to get to the flooded vehicle and helped the driver out. Manatee County police posted a video of the rescue on social media and reminded everyone of the basic rule of traveling in flooded areas: “Turn around or you won't drown.”
Even though Debby has moved out of northeast Florida, flooding and undertow are still occurring in many parts of the state. Public officials urged caution.
Main image source: Reuters/Manatee County Government