Meteorologist’s heroic act: Rescuing a woman trapped in floodwaters

A live broadcast turns into a rescue mission

In an unexpected turn of events, a Fox Weather meteorologist, Bob Van Dillen, transformed from a weather reporter to a hero during a live broadcast in Atlanta. The incident occurred as Hurricane Helene unleashed its fury, causing severe flooding in the area.

The scene at Peachtree Creek

Van Dillen was on the ground at Peachtree Creek in North Atlanta, reporting on the rising floodwaters just after 7 a.m. The situation took a dramatic turn when a woman’s desperate cries for help pierced the air. Trapped in her car by the rapidly rising water, she was in immediate danger.

A swift and brave response

As the woman continued to shout for assistance, Van Dillen assured her that emergency services had been notified and were on their way. However, realizing the urgency of the situation, he decided to take matters into his own hands. Braving the chest-high floodwaters, Van Dillen approached the car and managed to carry the woman to safety.

Recounting the rescue

Approximately 30 minutes after the rescue, Van Dillen rejoined the “Fox & Friends” broadcast. Anchors Ainsley Earhardt and Steve Doocy were eager to hear about his courageous act. Van Dillen described the woman’s state of panic and confusion, noting that she was still strapped into her car seat with the window slightly down.

“She was panicking. She really wasn’t making too much sense, and she was still strapped into her car seat,” Van Dillen recounted. “She still had the seat buckle on, and she had her window about this much down and she’s trying to talk to me through that. So I’m trying to open up the door, Ainsley, and the water pressure wasn’t allowing me to do it. So I said, ‘Roll your window down.’ So she rolls it down and … it allowed me to open the door.”

The technical challenge

Van Dillen explained the technical difficulties he faced during the rescue. The water pressure made it nearly impossible to open the car door. However, the woman managed to roll down her window, which equalized the pressure and allowed Van Dillen to pry the door open.

“I don’t know how it worked. And it’s like a miracle that the water actually didn’t short circuit all the boards and allowed the window to go down, because it went down like it was no problem, and it went down right into the water. But that allowed the pressure to be equalized and allowed me to pry the door open, unbuckle her seatbelt, put her on me, in my side. It was good to go.”

The aftermath

Van Dillen noted that the water reached up to his chest, and given the woman’s height of about five feet, she would not have been able to escape on her own. The fire department arrived approximately 15 minutes later, but they were inundated with numerous 911 calls due to the hurricane’s impact.

Reflecting on the experience

Reflecting on the experience, Van Dillen expressed his surprise at the depth of the water and the fortunate circumstances that allowed the rescue to happen. The incident highlights the unpredictable nature of natural disasters and the importance of quick thinking and bravery in emergency situations.

Watch the broadcast

For those interested in seeing the dramatic rescue unfold, videos of the Fox News broadcast are available online.

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