A routine drive in South Texas turned dangerous in a matter of moments, but quick action by first responders helped ensure it did not end in tragedy.
Newly released police video from Beeville shows how quickly rapid rainfall can overwhelm a roadway crossing and how fast local crews moved to protect a family.
Authorities rescued an infant Saturday after a white vehicle became stranded in fast-moving floodwater at a low-water crossing, according to the Guardian.
Video released the next day shows officers and firefighters surrounding the partially submerged car as water rushed around it.
In the footage, a distressed man inside the vehicle can be heard calling out: "Can you get my kid?"
A first responder immediately moves to the passenger-side window and replies, "Yeah, give me the baby," then reaches inside and pulls the infant out in a baby carrier.
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As the child is carried to safety and placed on the curb in a grassy area, another responder covers the carrier with a high-visibility jacket after someone shouts: "Cover him, cover him!"
Police said conditions worsened so quickly that the crossing had not yet been barricaded.
The department also said the fire chief tried to signal the driver to stop before the car went into the water, but the driver failed to notice him in time.
No one was injured.
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Even a small amount of moving water can sweep a vehicle off the road, and once a car starts drifting or flooding, getting out becomes much harder, particularly when children are involved.
Beeville police used the incident to reinforce a flood-safety message: drive more slowly in downpours, stay off water-covered roads, and be especially careful near creek crossings and other low-lying areas.
Police also emphasized that barricades are meant to protect drivers, not inconvenience them. Even when the water does not appear deep, road conditions beneath the surface may already be unstable, and the current can be stronger than it appears from behind the wheel.
"No errand, shortcut, or destination is worth risking your life or your family's safety," Beeville police said, per the Guardian.
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