SAN ANTONIO – Firefighters rescued a woman and a 6-year-old boy Saturday who sat stranded in a black Mustang in an island in the midst of rushing floodwaters, far from dry land.
The San Antonio Fire Department said the driver had tried to cross the bridge on West Commerce between Pinn and West Military. Her car stalled in the water, just 10 feet out of reach from the ladder firefighters had extended from dry land. With firefighters posted upstream and downstream of the car, they tried something else.
"The guys got in the water from the end of the ladder and just picked them up and put them inside the bucket of the truck," San Antonio fire Capt. Billy Cornwell said. "It's not easy because we have to get in the water. But, you know, it went off without a hitch. It was no issues."
Drivers dealt with wet roads and puddles citywide Saturday. Water rose with the rain, and the woman in the Mustang was not firefighters' only concern.
"I know the guys have been running since about 3 o'clock this morning pretty constantly," Cornwell said, about 1 1/2 hours after the morning rescue. "In the time since that one, there's probably been 10 to 15 going on. It's pretty busy."
As the woman and child arrived back on land at the West Commerce rescue, they were cold and scared but unharmed.
"She was, I think, just embarrassed, just glad to get out of there," Cornwell said. "You know, (she was) worried about her boy."
Firefighters are preparing for more rain and hoping drivers heed their advice to stay away from water-filled crossings. They ask people to “turn around; don't drown."