A deputy broke the rear window of a car to rescue its driver after her vehicle went off the road and into a flooded creek, Northern California deputies said.
POINT REYES STATION, Calif. – A deputy broke the rear window of a car to rescue its driver after her vehicle went off the road and into a flooded creek during a major atmospheric river storm Tuesday, Northern California deputies said.
The Marin County Sheriff’s Office said the driver hit a large puddle of water and lost control of the vehicle, winding up in a flooded creek near Port Reyes Station. When the driver realized she was trapped, she called 911.
“The weather was very poor and roadways were beginning to flood,” deputies said.
Arriving within minutes, a deputy plunged into the water to rescue the driver. The vehicle was nearly submerged, and water was rapidly filling the driver’s compartment. In bodycam footage provided by the sheriff’s office, the deputy can be seen swiftly breaking the rear window of the vehicle.
THIRD PACIFIC STORM SLAMS CALIFORNIA WITH HEAVY RAIN, MUDSLIDES
A deputy broke the rear window of a car to rescue its driver after her vehicle went off the road and into a creek, California deputies said.
(Marin County Sheriff’s Office)
“After rescuing the driver from the vehicle, and getting her to safety on the roadway, the vehicle had been completely overtaken by the rushing creek,” deputies said. “The entire incident lasts just minutes, showing how significant storm activity can be.”
Authorities urged drivers to avoid flooded roads after two further vehicles became stuck despite closure signs. A nearby rain gauge showed over 4.5 inches of rain had fallen that day.
The West Coast will see a final round of rain and snow Friday as a multi-day atmospheric river concludes and shifts eastward, becoming the nation’s next big winter storm.
Northern California received the last round of rain and snow-producing storms on Thursday evening, after the atmospheric river event on Tuesday led to at least two confirmed deaths in Sonoma County, according to the county sheriff’s office.