A Fox Weather meteorologist rescued a woman whose car became stuck in flood water spurred by the remnants of Hurricane Helene early Friday morning.
The rescue happened in Atlanta around 7 a.m. Eastern Time while Fox Weather’s Bob Van Dillen was speaking live on the Fox News Channel’s morning show “Fox & Friends.”
Van Dillen was near the Peachtree Creek in Atlanta to report on the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and its effects on Georgia’s biggest cities when he witnessed a woman drive onto a road saturated with flood water.
The woman became stuck and began shouting for help during Van Dillen’s live report. The meteorologist told Fox News he called 9-1-1 to request help, but noted that emergency crews were inundated with water rescues throughout Atlanta, suggesting it might be some time before first responders could come to their location.
Van Dillen ended his live segment early to see if he could help the woman. Twenty minutes later, Fox Weather aired footage showing Van Dillen carrying the woman on his back while wading slowly through the water.
Related: Fox Weather expands simulcast on Fox Business
During an appearance on Fox Weather, Van Dillen said he told the woman to roll down her window so the water pressure could balance out between the inside and outside the car. After some water came into the vehicle, he was able to open the door, unbuckle her seat belt and pull her out of the vehicle.
Fox Weather meteorologist @BobVanDillen heard a woman screaming for help during a live report on “Fox & Friends.” Her car became stuck in flood water, and he went in to save her.
Read more: https://t.co/T9F3abqMkt pic.twitter.com/GTIh7wL4hT
— TheDesk.net (@TheDeskDotNet) September 28, 2024
“I was concerned that one, maybe there was a nice swift current, but the current really wasn’t that bad,” Van Dillen said on TV. “But, the water temperature I was afraid of, too. The water temperature is probably about 80 [degrees].”
Van Dillen gave the woman his red Fox Weather shirt so she could warm up. She was reunited with her husband while Van Dillen delivered a report on Fox Weather later in the morning.
Hurricane Helene made landfall late Thursday evening near the city of Perry, Florida. The storm has caused flash flooding in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee and Virginia.
