Amateur video captured the moment a group of pedestrians formed a spontaneous human chain to save a woman trapped in her car by powerful floodwaters in Ellicott City, Maryland.
The U.S. National Weather Service recorded 6.5 inches of “historic heavy rainfall” Saturday, prompting Maryland Governor Larry Hogan to declare a state of emergency for Howard County.
Ellicot City resident Jamie Knight, 29, was driving home Saturday night during the powerful rainstorm when she says a powerful surge of water moving down Main Street suddenly carried her car away.
“The current just kind of took my car down the street and I started trying to immediately pull over,” Knight told the Baltimore Sun. “I screamed at the guy, ‘I don’t know what to do,’ and he said, ‘You’ve got to get out.'”
The “guy” in question was Jason Barnes, the owner of a local toyshop who was taking shelter from the powerful rain in front of an art gallery on Main Street.
Sara Arditti, who owns the Still Life Gallery on Main Street with her husband David Dempster, was recording the rising floodwater when they spotted Knight’s Volkswagen Beetle being swept away by the gushing water.
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Her camera captured the spontaneous rescue effort as Barnes, Dempsey, and other nearby pedestrians formed a human chain in an attempt to reach Knight.
At one point, the powerful floodwaters nearly sweep Barnes away as he tries to reach Knight’s rapidly-sinking car.
“I didn’t know how I was going to get out,” she said. “The water was rushing so strong. You saw him get washed away. I didn’t want to get washed away also.”
Eventually, the human chain was able to reach Knight and help guide her to safety.
Meanwhile, county and state officials in Maryland are gathering recovery resources for people affected by flooding over the weekend in Ellicott City.
Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman and Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford plan to attend the recovery and information session for residents and businesses Monday afternoon with representatives of county and state agencies and nonprofits offering resources.
Two people were killed in the flooding in Ellicott City.
-With files from the Associated Press