A courageous rescue caught on camera has garnered thousands of views after flash floods ravaged the Baltimore area this past weekend. Six inches of fast-falling rain swept cars away in Ellicott City Saturday evening.
A woman in a VW Beetle got caught in fast-moving water and her car began to be swept downstream when Jason Barnes and others formed a human chain to pull her to safety. "I just knew it was a person in a car going down the street," Barnes told WBFF-TV.
"Someone was in danger and I knew what I needed to do -- help her."
Barnes drove back to a local store after he saw the rain coming down. He told WBFF-TV that he knew the historic community was prone to flooding and he wanted to check on some things in the basement of the store. When he got to the shop, he said he saw the rain falling harder and harder.
"Then I heard a massive pop," Barnes said. "There was 3 feet of water all across my basement and rising."
Barnes said he went outside in time to see his car being swept away by the floodwaters. And that’s when he saw a woman stuck inside a Beetle. He immediately stepped in to help.
He ran into the raging waters, but lost his footing and started to be swept away himself.
"I just shrieked when I saw Jason get washed away," witness Sara Arditti said.
"When I got swept away ... all I had to do was roll to the corner of the building where the water wasn't so high," Barnes told WBFF. "My only thought was getting back up there.
And Barnes did make it back to the car. Inside was a woman only identified as Jaime. Barnes fought the strong current of the water and linked arms with three other men to help pull the woman to safety. Two people were killed by the storm and one other remains missing, officials told WBFF. As for Barnes, he’s being hailed as a hero.
About the Author
