A Florida police officer and an unidentified man caught in rising flood waters are both “lucky to be alive” after they were sucked into a drainage pipe and swept underneath a highway, according to a statement and video from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputy William Hollingsworth captured the ordeal on his body camera while he was on patrol Friday, assisting stranded motorists who were caught in the storm.
“At one point, Deputy Hollingsworth exited his patrol car to approach a citizen who was trapped in these rising waters,” Sheriff Chip Simmons described. “As he approached, Deputy Hollingsworth witnessed the citizen go underwater and rushed to his aid without regard for his own safety.”
As Hollingsworth was wading through deep water, the footage captured on his body camera goes dark as he’s sucked underwater. For the next 30 seconds, all that can be heard are various sounds and some flashes of light.
According to the police statement, both Hollingsworth and the civilian he was trying to rescue were “sucked into a drainage pipe” and swept nearly 100 feet (30 metres) through the pipe to the other side of Highway 98, a four-lane roadway.
After emerging on the other side, Hollingsworth can be heard catching his breath and exclaiming about the ordeal the pair just survived.
“I almost died,” the man said.
“I almost died too, buddy, it sucked me in,” Hollingsworth responded.
“I’ve never held my breath like that in my life,” the deputy adds.
Later in the video, the man thanks Hollingsworth for “being there” when he emerged on the other side of the drainage pipe.
“When I came out you were right behind me,” he said.
The southeast United States has been hammered with extreme heat and storms throughout the weekend.
In Florida, severe thunderstorms caused localized flooding that made some roads unusable and damaged local businesses and property. The Associated Press reported that one person died Thursday night when a tornado ripped through Escambia County.
The Escambia Sheriff’s Office lauded Hollingsworth’s actions on Friday, saying it was “an example of the exceptional courage displayed by the men and women of law enforcement every day.”
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