Fox weather reporter abandons broadcast to rescue woman trapped in hurricane Helene: Watch
During a live broadcast, Fox News meteorologist abandoned his report to rescue a woman stuck in floodwaters from Hurricane Helene.
Fox Weather meteorologist Bob Van Dillen became a surprising rescuer during a live report on Atlanta's flooding, stopping to help a woman pinned in her car stuck in waters caused by Hurricane Helene.
Just after 7 a.m. Van Dillen was detailing the flooding caused by the hurricane when, in the background of the live shot, viewers could distinctly hear a woman frantically calling for help. The woman, it turned out, had driven directly into the floodwaters, her car becoming stuck as the water levels quickly rose around her. Van Dillen reported the situation to the Fox & Friends hosts, stating, “She drove right into the flood waters.” He reassured viewers that emergency services had already been called, saying that the local fire department was on its way to the scene.
Without hesitation, Van Dillen abandoned his broadcast and waded into the floodwaters to carry out the rescue himself. Chest deep in water, he approached the car and managed to free the woman from her vehicle, carrying her to safety.
ALSO READ| Donald Trump touts ‘good ties’ with Vladimir Putin, ‘…let’s hope for good relations,’ Zelensky asks
Around 10 minutes later, Fox & Friends returned to air with live footage of Van Dillen, chest-deep in floodwater, carrying the woman to safety.
About 30 minutes later, Van Dillen rejoined the ‘Fox & Friends’ broadcast, where hosts Ainsley Earhardt and Steve Doocy commended him for his quick thinking and bravery.
Van Dillen's quick thinking saves woman's life
Later in the broadcast, Van Dillen recounted, “She was panicking. She really wasn’t making too much sense, and she was still strapped into her car seat.” He described how the woman was attempting to communicate through a small crack in her window, which was still slightly open. Initially, he struggled to open the door due to the immense water pressure. “I’m trying to open up the door, Ainsley, and the water pressure wasn’t allowing me to do it,” Van Dillen said.
Realizing the door wouldn’t budge, he instructed the woman to roll her window down, which she did. To his surprise, the car’s electrical system still functioned despite being submerged in water. “It’s like a miracle that the water actually didn’t short-circuit all the boards,” he noted, adding that once the window was down, the pressure equalized, allowing him to pry the door open and unbuckle her seatbelt.
ALSO READ| Massive Hurricane Helene claims 17 lives, leaves 3.2mn people without power across
Van Dillen said the water reached his chest, and given the woman’s height of about five feet, it would have been nearly impossible for her to escape on her own. “I didn’t realize how deep it was,” he admitted.
The fire department arrived about 15 minutes later.