Texas Helicopter Crew Rescues Girl, Family and Two Dogs Trapped in Uvalde Floodwaters as Death Toll Rises to Two
A dramatic aerial rescue unfolded in Uvalde County on Thursday as catastrophic flooding submerged communities across south-central Texas, trapping families in their homes and cutting off access to entire neighborhoods.
,Texas Game Wardens and the Texas Department of Public Safety joined forces Thursday morning to pull people from the surging floodwaters in Uvalde County., ,Footage released by Gov. Greg Abbott’s office shows a Texas Department of Public Safety rescue crew lowering into a flooded home before airlifting the family to safety.,
,Filmed from inside the helicopter, the video shows a person who appeared to be a child being hoisted up and away from the rising waters. Additional footage shared by Texas Game Wardens appears to show multiple children being lifted into the aircraft., ,At one point in the recordings, a game warden can be heard saying “It’s a child, we’re bringing her in.”,
,Catastrophic flash floods across Texas have killed two people and forced hundreds of rescues, Gov. Greg Abbott confirmed Thursday. Rescuers on boats and helicopters saved more than 200 people, including stranded motorists and residents trapped inside their homes.,
,As much as 28 inches of rain fell over just three days in Uvalde County alone, according to the National Weather Service., ,Floodwaters overtook the city of Uvalde overnight, cutting off most outside routes, with the Leona River filling streets despite being normally dry for much of the year.,
,One victim was driving on a flooded road near Uvalde and was swept away, while the second fatality occurred in Kerr County, according to the governor., ,The body of 65-year-old John Mark Steward of Kerrville was recovered Thursday. His wife said a neighbor called overnight reporting that floodwaters had risen to the door of their mobile home, which was ultimately swept entirely off its platform and carried down Goat Creek.,
,More than 2,000 first responders were deployed statewide, with Texas Game Wardens rescuing close to 150 people by Thursday afternoon alone., ,Several agencies contributed rescue helicopters to the effort, including Travis County from the state capital of Austin.,
,Emergency officials opened three shelters in Uvalde as widespread flooding along the Leona, Nueces and Frio rivers isolated significant portions of the city.,
,The National Weather Service noted that a powerful flood wave barreled Thursday down the same river system that was destroyed by flash floods last summer, when two dozen children and counselors perished at Camp Mystic. Unlike last year, however, some residents reported receiving earlier warnings this time around.,
,Gov. Abbott warned that the hardest-hit communities should expect more rain through Friday and remain in danger, with some rivers potentially approaching historic levels., Authorities are urging all residents in affected areas to stay away from floodwaters and to never attempt to drive through submerged roadways.