Maryland Firefighters Rescue Man from Flood
GAMBRILLS, Md. -- Hours of rain had emergency crews racing around Anne Arundel County performing rescues.
Mike Schuh reports one Gambrills man is thankful they could save his life.
When it rains all night long, closed roads, and lots of them, are bound to follow.
Some of them are passable, but they're closed because they can quickly turn dangerous.
Bob Dimartino found out the hard way that one Anne Arundel County road was covered with more water than his truck could handle.
"As a result of this individual's decision, we are in a position to have to rescue him in his vehicle," said Matthew Tobia, Anne Arundel Battalion Chief.
Dimartino sat perched in his truck's window in case the swift water tried to float the vehicle downstream.
"The water kept going up higher. Got nervous and scared, 911 told me someone coming out," said Dimartino.
Their aerial ladder wasn't big enough, so firefighters had to put their swift-water rescue training into practice.
Using this special training, rescuers slowly side-stepped toward Dimartino.
The water was running fast enough to knock over one of the untrained men.
"It would surprise people not used to it," said Keith Hamilton, AAFD Special Operations.
That's why they had a boat for the victim. By the time he was rescued, the water had risen high enough for Dimartino to walk right on to the inflatable.
With safety lines in place the entire time, another man was sent in to help get everyone back safely.
"It can always throw you off because you don't know what's right below you," said Hamilton.
Dimartino was hauled safely to shore.
"I just drive in there, thought I could get through. Saw another truck get through first. He pulled away. Just got stuck in there, water coming everywhere," said Dimartino.
"Trees and wires have fallen everywhere, so we could have any of those hazards submerged here," said Captain David Chen, AAFD Special Operations.
This was the second water rescue Anne Arundel County firemen performed Monday.
Firefighters warn that a car can float in less than a foot of water.
Republished with permission of WJZ-TV.