A dramatic rescue was performed by a Maricopa County Sheriff's Office helicopter crew in Tonopah, Arizona, after a man was stranded atop his overturned truck in rapidly rising floodwaters.
The crew, part of the Fox 1 aviation unit, responded to a flooded wash in Tonopah on Tuesday morning, where deputies found the man sitting on top of the overturned vehicle with water rushing around him. Due to the hazardous conditions, first responders determined that directly reaching the man was too risky and opted for a "hoist rescue" instead.
Video released by authorities shows a crew member being lowered to the vehicle to secure the man in a rescue harness before both were hoisted to safety. The man was then taken to the riverbank, where fire personnel were waiting.
According to the helicopter's pilot, Rich Dickner, the water was quickly rising around the vehicle. "We didn't waste much time," Dickner said. "As opposed to when we first got there, you can see the water line on the video — it's below the window — and it had risen up to the top of the window," he continued.
The entire rescue took less than five minutes, authorities said, crediting the crew's swift response with getting the man to safety. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office warned drivers to be cautious of flooded roads, noting that conditions can change rapidly.
NTC Report coverage is based on reporting from the original publisher.
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