Dramatic video showed a helicopter rescue crew airlifting a young girl, her family and their two dogs from the terrifying flooding that left at least two people dead in Texas.
Footage shared by Texas Governor Greg Abbott Thursday showed a rescuer being winched down to a deluged property in Uvalde the previous day as nearly 30 inches of rain fell in just three days.
After the emergency responder put a helicopter rescue vest on the terrified girl, she could be seen being lifted away from the home as at least two adults and two dogs watched on.
“Texans in affected areas should remain vigilant, monitor local forecasts, follow guidance from local officials and stay far away from rising water,” read a post by Abbott on Facebook sharing the footage. “Turn Around Don’t Drown.”
Catastrophic storms have dumped nearly 30 inches of rain on South Central Texas over the past three days.
Abbot said at a press conference Thursday that 2,350 state emergency responders and 1,400 vehicles had been deployed.
He confirmed that one victim had been swept away while driving on a road near Uvalde.
The 74-year-old man, who has not been identified, “eluded law enforcement’s warnings not to proceed up the roadway,” the Uvalde Police Department said.
A second victim, John Mark Steward, 65, died in Kerr County.
His wife, Jennie Steward, said she had been away visiting family when a neighbor called to say her husband had gone missing.
Water rose to the door of their mobile home, which was then swept down Goat Creek on the Guadalupe River.
“It’s really hard that I wasn’t there with him,” Jennie said, adding that the last time she spoke with her husband was over the phone Wednesday to celebrate their third anniversary.
Floodwaters had receded in some of the hardest-hit areas by Friday, but heavy rain led to rising waters in other parts of Texas, Fox 4 reported.
Forecasters alerted people in west-central Texas of life-threatening floods and urged them to get to higher ground, the outlet said.
With Post wires
