Couple, dog rescued from rising floodwaters in Austell
Couple, dog rescued from Sweetwater Creek floodwater
Austell firefighters had to rescue two people and a dog camping along Sweetwater Creek during the recent rain storm. They became stuck when the waters rose too quickly. They were forced to cling to the top of a camper.
AUSTELL, Ga. - Two people and their dog are safe after being rescued from rising floodwaters in Austell.
The trio were clinging to life on top of a camper.
SEE ALSO: Flooding impacts roads, rivers and creeks across metro Atlanta, North Georgia
Trio cling to camper during flood
The backstory:
A man and a woman were camping along Sweetwater Creek in Austell. The creek began to flood after Thursday morning's stormy weather. The water was high on Thursday afternoon and was still rising. "Around five to six feet, it was enough to submerge a Ford Ranger," said Austell's Deputy Fire Chief Ken Strong.
The couple realized they were in a dangerous situation and climbed on top of their camper as the water continued to rise around them. "Evidently they've been out there for three or four hours, hoping it would subside, and it hadn't even crested at that point," said Austell Firefighter John Bennett.
Firefighters rescue trio from floodwaters
What they're saying:
The couple called 911, then waited and worried. "They were down to one bar of battery life left on one phone. So, they were concerned that they weren't gonna be able to get anybody to them," said Bennett.
Once fire officials were able to pinpoint the couple's exact location, the next step was getting to them. The access road near the creek was flooded, so they went in through the woods. They used an inflatable rescue boat and paddled their way to the couple. "The two individuals were on top of the camper, and the dog was still inside the camper," said Deputy Fire Chief Strong.
Firefighters broke through a vent on the roof of the camper to get to the dog. "Nice dog, smart enough to get to the highest part of that camper. It was the last thing that was not underwater yet in there," said Firefighter Bennett.
Everyone, including the dog, was taken back to the dry ground in the rescue boat. Medics checked out the man and woman, and they appeared to be OK. "The guys worked great together. They acted very swiftly, locating the victims and swiftly getting them to safety," said Deputy Chief Strong.
The Source: FOX 5's Denise Dillon spoke with Austell's Deputy Fire Chief Ken Strong about a dramatic rescue during this week's flooding.