Florida deputy jumps in rising floodwaters to save man, both get sucked into storm drain

ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. – A dramatic rescue in Escambia County was caught on camera when a deputy who raced in to help people stuck in rapidly rising waters wound up getting trapped himself.

It happened Friday, but the video was released Monday. It shows the deputy, risking his own safety, jumping in to help before both he and the person he was trying to rescue got sucked into a drainage pipe.

They were swept under a four-lane roadway and after about 30 seconds, they resurfaced about 100 feet away.

In the video, the deputy can be heard asking the man, “Can you believe what just happened to us?”

Those waters were rising rapidly during torrential downpours on Friday in northern Florida.

The Escambia County sheriff said the two are lucky to be alive.


About the Author

Jenise Fernandez joined the Local 10 News team in November 2014. She is thrilled to be back home reporting for the station she grew up watching. Jenise, who is from Miami and graduated from Florida International University, also interned at Local 10 while she was in college.

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