FLORENCE, S.C. -- Thursday's deluge kept Florence firefighters busy as they rode to the rescue of motorists in five vehicles that were disabled by water.
"One of the incidences occurred when the driver of a vehicle attempted to drive through deep water under a railroad overpass. The driver of that vehicle was found on the hood of the vehicle. The driver was rescued by crews tossing a throw ring and safety rope to them and was then safely brought to dry ground. The driver was checked by Florence County EMS and released," Ken Carr, Florence fire marshal, said.
The other incidents were caused by shallow standing water and drivers were either removed from their vehicles or their vehicles were moved to dry ground so the motorists could safely exit, Carr wrote in his release.
"The Florence Fire Department would like to ask all drivers, not to drive through water standing on the roadway. Water at a depth of as little as six inches is capable of stalling a vehicle. A depth of 24 inches can float or sweep a vehicle away," according to the release.
If you do become stranded after attempting to drive through water do not leave your vehicle. There is always the possibility that a storm could have caused power lines to come in contact with water and pose an electrocution risk.
Copyright 2012 - Florence Morning News, S.C.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
