WATCH: White Settlement police rescue mom of 3 from weekend flood
A mother of three was rescued from a stranded car in floodwaters during severe weekend weather in North Texas, police said.
White Settlement police officers were positioned throughout the city to respond to storm damage and emergencies on Saturday, April 25, as weekend storms moved through the area, police said in a news release on Wednesday.
Officers saw a car that was stranded in the 8100 block of Western Hills Boulevard around 11 p.m. due to the rising floodwater, police said.
In a dashboard-camera video shared by the department, three children can be seen soaking wet in the heavy rain standing nearby the stranded car. Police said part of the car was up on the curb with the front portion of the vehicle being trapped in fast-rushing floodwater in a channel that runs towards a creek.
Officers brought the children to their patrol vehicle and began rescuing their mother, who was unable to reach the high grounds because of floodwaters. In the video she could be seen standing near the driver’s door of the car.
A jumper cable was used by the officers to secure her. The mom was instructed to place the cable under her arms and around her chest while three officers held the other end in case she slipped into the fast-moving water.
Once the Fire Department arrived, first responders attached a hook cable to the car and slowly pulled it out of the water and back to the road, according to police.
The woman and her children were checked by the Fire Department and were unharmed, police said.
“I am grateful for the proactive response of Sergeant John Banner, his team of officers, our WEST COMM Dispatch Center, partner agencies and Fire Department during this dangerous situation of heavy rainfall that fell within a short period of time that caused rapid flooding in the area,” Chief of Police Christopher Cook said in the release. “Law enforcement officers put the highest priority on the preservation of life and this was evident based upon getting creative and using a pair of jumper cables to serve as an additional safety tool until the car was pulled from danger.”
“What I saw during this rescue was brave police officers doing what they could to save lives,” City Manager Jeffrey J. James said in the release. “I am equally proud of our entire public safety team who pulled together to provide the highest level of service to this family which led to a positive outcome.”
Chief Cook has ordered each patrol car to be equipped with a water rescue throw bag after the incident, according to the release.
The Police Department thanked Sgt. John Banner, Corporal Gasper Martinez, Officer Christopher Wiseman, Officer Brian Leal, Dispatcher Shyanne Hoffman, Dispatcher Gunnar Tomlinson, the Westworth Village Police Department, Fort Worth Police Department-West Division, and the White Settlement Fire Department for the rescue effort.