Officers Rescue Two People From Sinking Van in Flooded Florida Canal

Port St. Lucie, United States – A police officer reached a sinking van in a flooded canal in Port St. Lucie, Florida, within 100 seconds of being dispatched, helping to save two people trapped inside.

Body camera footage released by the Port St. Lucie Police Department shows officers and firefighters working in heavy rain beside a white vehicle in floodwater on Monday, November 2, with emergency lights flashing as rescuers pull the occupants to safety.

Just before 10:30am, as a storm brought torrential rain and dangerous flooding, a van was swept into a canal after the driver tried to turn on a disappearing road, the department said. One of the people inside had a disability and could not get out without help.

Officer Peterson arrived about 100 seconds after being dispatched and, working with the St. Lucie County Fire District, helped rescue both people. Both survived and were doing okay, the department said.