Helicopter Firefighters Pluck Stranded Residents From Flooded Spain Rooftops

Firefighters hanging from a rescue helicopter plucked residents one by one from rooftops and terraces surrounded by floodwater as the storm known as DANA Adam swamped the coast of eastern Spain.

Footage released by the Valencia Provincial Firefighters Consortium was filmed from inside its MV6-R helicopter over Oliva and the surrounding La Safor area on October 19. It shows rescuers being lowered onto flat roofs and patios above muddy water, strapping in elderly residents and hoisting them up to the cabin.

The consortium said it had been “an intense day” for all those involved, with more than 1,000 air, land and water rescues carried out in Oliva and other parts of La Safor.

The storm brought more than 600 liters of rain per square meter to parts of southern Valencia and northern Alicante. Two people died in Oliva, bringing the confirmed toll from DANA Adam to four, while the Civil Guard alone evacuated more than 2,100 people and rescued nearly 500.