In the wake of Hurricane Milton's torrential rains and subsequent floods, a 14-year-old boy was found floating atop a piece of fencing in north Tampa. Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister and his deputy came upon the stranded teen while navigating the deluged streets on a rescue boat, according to a video released by the Sheriff's Office.
The incident, which unfolded less than two miles west of the University of South Florida, occurred in a densely populated residential area. The Sheriff's Office shared that the boy had earlier evacuated from his home due to the storm and was attempting to return when he miscalculated the depth of the water, WFLA reported. Amidst the chaos, Chronister urged the boy to "Stay right there," as rescuers maneuvered to lift him to safety.
In a harrowing scene reminiscent of a survival drama, Sheriff Chronister described the rescue to WFLA, “It was literally out of a castaway movie, him laying on top of a fence, waving us,” said Chronister. “Out of breath, gasping for air as we pulled him up.”
The area, notably, was not previously designated as an evacuation zone, yet experienced unprecedented flooding. Over the course of the disaster, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue managed a flood of emergency calls, with 350 dialed between 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, and 3:30 a.m. yesterday. As for the number of rescues, exact figures are yet to be reported, as per FOX 13.
While the teen was ultimately delivered to dry ground, there lingered no immediate information regarding the boy's family or whether he had been separated from them during the storm. This incident illuminates the perils Hurricane Milton imposed, leaving communities to reckon with damaged infrastructure and the sudden, urgent need for rescue operations throughout the Tampa region, as further detailed by WTSP.
