Saved from the flood: Rescuers tell of harrowing conditions as they plucked driver from raging waters
About 5 inches of rain had already fallen in the Ladera Ridge area by Friday night when a driver became trapped in raging floodwaters. Ventura County firefighters detail how they plucked her to safety and how it was one of several rescues during the storm.
Firefighters detail rescue of trapped woman amid raging flood, blistering wind
Ventura County firefighters tell how they managed to rescue a woman who had become trapped in raging floodwaters during last Friday's massive rainstorm.
OJAI, Calif. – A dramatic aerial rescue saved a woman trapped in her car as floodwaters raged around her amid another torrential rainstorm in Southern California last Friday.
"The storm was a significant storm, typically would be one of the largest storms we would get in a rain season," Ventura County Fire Department spokesperson Andy VanSciver told FOX Weather.
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About 5 inches of rain had already fallen in the Ladera Ridge area by Friday night, with 11 inches accumulating in nearby canyons throughout the event, leading to flash flooding. One woman's SUV got trapped as the floodwaters rushed in.
A rescue helicopter from Ventura County Fire was summoned to the scene to hoist the stranded driver to safety – one of several rescue calls on the night. But it wasn't easy.
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Weekend rains touched off flash flooding in Ventura County, California, which is north of Los Angeles. The shallow but fast-moving floodwaters stranded the car. Fire crews airlifted a rescuer who had to pull the driver out of the car window while hanging from a helicopter in gale-force winds.
"That evening, we had significant (winds) of 40 to 50 mph as we arrived on the scene," said Ventura County Firefighter Ryan Anderson, who dropped to hoist the driver. Several aerial hazards of trees and power lines surrounded the rescue area.
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"Once we got the risks out of the way, the weather cooperated enough for us to succeed with the rescue," Anderson said. They first got the woman to the roof of her car, strapped her in and raised her off the roof and over to dry land into the arms of waiting firefighters. "The victim did great – she was very cooperative, and she didn’t appear to be too terrified. She knew what she had to do, and she assisted me in that rescue as well."
VanSciver said the successful rescue was the latest in a very busy winter for his department, as the state has been hammered by multiple atmospheric rivers since late December. So far, his team has completed 25 rescues involving 80 people.
"That's an extraordinary amount and very above-normal amount," he said. "Typically, we have 3 to 5 rescues (a year) and may have to intervene on two or three."
Ventura County (Calif.) firefighter Ryan Anderson lifts a stranded driver to safety during a rainstorm on Feb. 24, 2023.
(Ventura County Fire Department / FOX Weather)
But last Friday night's rescue was just one of five rescue calls for their team.
"It was a very busy night for our airship and our ground crews," he said.
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VanSciver said the rescues illustrate what happens when people don't heed the message during floods of "turn around, don't drown."
"People don’t realize the amount of force water has," VanSciver said. "It can be as little as 6 inches of moving water to sweep you off your feet, and as little as 12 inches can float your vehicle. So don’t cross anything where you can not clearly see the bottom."
Anderson echoed the advice.
"We don’t want to meet you under these circumstances," he said.
More rain was heading into Southern California on Wednesday, with yet another storm looming for the weekend.