Ore. Firefighters Rescue Motorists From Flood Waters
Source The Oregonian, Portland, Ore.
Jan. 22--Firefighters rescued four people stranded early this morning when their vehicles stalled along flooded Southwest Fernhill Road south of Forest Grove.
Emergency responders from the Forest Grove Fire & Rescue arrived at about midnight to find a small car that had become stuck after attempting to drive north on Fernhill Road, said David Nemeyer, the agency's public information officer.
As they were preparing a rescue boat, a second car approached the road, and it too became stuck in the floodwaters. Officials estimated the water was about 18 to 24 inches deep.
The road has been closed since Friday due to flooding from the Tualatin River and Fernhill Wetlands. Barricades block the north and south entrance to the road.
Two firefighters guided the rescue boat to the cars and brought all four adults to dry land.
Officials from the Forest Grove Police Department and the Washington County Sheriff's Office were also on the scene.
It doesn't take much standing water to float your car off the road surface, Nemeyer said in a written statement. Drivers should always turnaround before crossing a flooded roadway.
He also cautioned drivers against moving barricades or road-closed signs that mark flooded roads.
--Molly Young
Copyright 2012 - The Oregonian, Portland, Ore.
