Yahoo Lifestyle California Deputy Breaks Window to Rescue Driver Trapped in Rising Water
“The entire incident lasts just minutes, showing how significant storm activity can be," the Marin County Sheriff's Office said
A California sheriff’s deputy saved the life of a driver who lost control of her vehicle and ended up in a flooded creek, according to authorities — and the rescue was caught on camera.
According to the Marin County Sheriff’s Office, the driver was traveling along Platform Bridge Road outside the town of Point Reyes Station around 5 a.m. local time on Monday, Feb. 6 — amid poor weather conditions and roadways close to flooding.
The sheriff’s office said the driver’s vehicle hit a large puddle and wound up in the creek. The driver became trapped in her car as the doors and windows became inoperable, but she was able to call 911.
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“Within minutes, a Marin County Sheriff’s Office Deputy arrived on scene and recognizing the severity of the incident, jumped into the water to rescue the driver,” said the sheriff’s office.
As seen in body cam footage shared by the sheriff’s office, the officer, identified as Deputy Mike Dawson, asks the driver if she can hear him; by this point, water is overtaking the vehicle and filling up the driver’s compartment.
The deputy breaks the vehicle’s rear window and pulls out some of her belongings to create an escape route for the driver. She can be heard telling the deputy she’s worried about getting out.
The driver manages to crawl through the opening of the rear window with assistance from the deputy, as seen in the video.
"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,” the sheriff’s office noted. “The entire incident lasts just minutes, showing how significant storm activity can be.”
Following the incident, the sheriff’s office said that the Marin County Department of Public Works placed road closure signs, but added that two other vehicles “became stuck after drivers ignored the posted signs." They then pleaded with drivers to not "put yourself at risk by being careless.”
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The sheriff’s office praised Dawson’s heroics while urging drivers to exercise caution while driving in bad weather conditions and avoid driving through standing water.
As the San Francisco Chronicle reported, the rescue occurred on the same day when the Bay Area was hit by an atmospheric river storm that resulted in heavy rains in the region.
The Marin County Sheriff’s Office told PEOPLE in a statement, "We have been in contact with the victim who has communicated support during this rescue. Our intent was to provide safety to other drivers during bad storms."
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