Emergency Rescue: Unconventional Tool Used to Save Family Trapped in Floodwaters

In North Texas, officers conducted an overnight rescue operation, using an unexpected tool to save a mother and child trapped in floodwaters. Bodycam footage released by the White Settlement Police Department shows officers assisting a mother and her children who were stranded in their vehicle during a storm. The incident occurred around 11:12 p.m. on April 25th in White Settlement, North Texas.

While on patrol, Sergeant John Ballew discovered a vehicle partially submerged and being swept downstream. Upon arrival, Sgt. Ballew found three children outside the vehicle and moved them to his patrol car. However, the mother, near the driver's side door, was trapped and unable to exit due to the rising water. The powerful current was engulfing the vehicle, making it difficult for the woman to stand.

The woman in the video cried out for help. An officer yelled, "I've got you! Get in the car!" to which she responded, "Help me! Help me!" Officers devised a plan to prevent her from being swept away. Realizing they needed something to secure her, officers ran to their patrol car and retrieved jumper cables. Officer Christopher Weisman looped the jumper cables around the woman's arms and chest, creating a makeshift harness. Officers held onto the other end of the cables, ready to pull her in immediately if she slipped. One officer stated, "Don't let me fall either."

The officers maintained their position and requested assistance from the fire department, alerting them that the woman's strength was waning. Reporting that her legs were getting tired, they requested a ladder. Soon after, White Settlement Fire Department firefighters arrived, attached a rope to the stranded vehicle, and began slowly pulling it from the floodwaters onto the road.

The mother and her children were assessed for injuries and were unharmed. Authorities praised the collaborative response from police officers, dispatchers, and firefighters. The White Settlement Police Department expressed gratitude for the "proactive response from Sgt. John Ballew, his team, West-Com Dispatch, our partner agencies, and the Fire Department."