Woman survives on her overturned car for 15-hours in California floods
Watch the dramatic air rescue of a woman stranded in floodwaters for 15-hours. Rescuers say that she was lucky a camper found her in such a remote area in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California woman rescued after being stranded in floodwaters for 15 hours
A woman in California was rescued from the Alameda County Fire Department after being stranded for 15 hours in an overturned car due to a flash flood caused by heavy rain earlier this week. Alameda County Battalion Fire Chief Kent Carlin joins FOX Weather to explain more about this rescue.
LIVERMORE, Calif. – A woman huddled on top of her overturned car in a swollen creek for 15 hours after heavy rain from an atmospheric river-fueled storm turned it into a rushing rapid.
The storm lashed the San Francisco Bay Area Sunday night and Monday, dropping inches of rain. With saturated soil from so many recent storms, runoff caused flash flooding.
"The water was significantly rapid when we arrived. I can only imagine that (Monday) night it was flowing a little heavier," Alameda County Fire Department Battalion Chief Kent Carlin told KTVU FOX 2.
‘TURN AROUND DON’T DROWN': FLOOD FATALITIES IN US HIT 5-YEAR HIGH IN 2021
The stranded woman reaches for the CHP officer's hand as he was lowered from a helicopter to rescue her.
(Alameda County Fire Department / FOX Weather)
SAN DIEGO FLOODWATERS PROMPT DRAMATIC RESCUES AS REGION SEES RECORD RAIN
The woman told first responders that she tried to cross a flooded road around 7:30 Monday night. She underestimated the depth and power of the water.
The swift water pulled her car off the road and into the current. It flipped the vehicle with her still in the driver's seat.
"Of course, during that time that her vehicle overturned in the water, she lost (her) phone and all other important items, not to mention it was a bad coverage area anyway," Carlin said.
She swam out of her car and managed to climb on top in the dark; clouds shielding the Moon in the remote forested area. The temperature dropped to the low 50s, chilling the woman, still damp from the escape. Light rain and mist fell overnight.
WHAT IS HYPOTHERMIA? IT CAN SET IN EVEN ABOVE FREEZING
"You could tell from her condition that she was cold, her hands were discolored, you know she’d been there overnight," Carlin said.
After 15 hours alone and scared, a camper spotted her and called 9-1-1.
"(She was) extremely lucky," added Carlin. "Had there been nobody at the campground, she could have been there significantly longer."
The ACFD tried to rescue her with a ladder truck but had to call the California Highway Patrol for an air rescue helicopter. A rescuer landed on the car and attached a harness to the woman in less than a minute, then crews reeled in the pair.
HOW MUCH FLOOD WATER DOES IT TAKE TO DAMAGE A CAR? DOES IT MATTER IF IT IS SALT OR FRESH?
Take a look at the remote area she found herself stranded in. This was the CHP helicopter with rescuer and victim in tow.
(California Highway Patrol / FOX Weather)
HERE'S WHAT TO DO AFTER YOUR CAR IS FLOODED
"Despite being in the cold weather overnight, she was OK and taken to a local hospital to be checked out," posted ACFD on social media.
Carlin said she was in good spirits and happy to be out of there.