PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. —
A Port St. Lucie police officer rescued two people trapped in a sinking van after floodwaters pushed their van into a canal Monday morning.
In an exclusive interview, the woman who was rescued, Maria Andrade, told WPBF 25 News she was in the back of the van on her way home from a doctor’s appointment when floodwaters pushed the van into a canal.
The driver was able to call 911 and ask for help.
The police officer’s body camera footage shows him arriving less than two minutes after the call and immediately entering the water.
The officer first pulled the driver out of the van and, with the help of firefighters, rescued Andrade, who was trapped inside.
Andrade, who only speaks Spanish, explained through her son, Raul Morales, that the floodwaters had gotten so bad, it was hard to tell where the road was.
“She says it was raining really, really hard,” Morales said. “She couldn’t even see the road. It was just water.”
Andrade said the van began sinking and filling up with water.
“She could hear the water just gushing in there. That’s what pretty much told me, ‘Uh oh. I’m in trouble,’” Morales said.
Maria said she couldn’t unlatch her seat belt and was trapped inside the van.
But she also said she didn’t have time to be scared because the officer arrived so quickly.
The van’s driver told police the only way to get Maria out was through the back.
One person entered the van and pushed while others pulled her out.
“She wants to thank the first responders for being really, really on top of it. She realized how quick they were about it and made her feel better about her situation,” Morales said. “Thank you for helping her out and for being there for her. It’s just … there’s no words for it.”
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