A Denton man and his pickup were swept away in heavy, fast-moving floodwaters yesterday, kicking off a tense, more-than-an-hour swift-water rescue that ended with firefighters pulling him to safety. The truck and its driver were carried roughly half a mile downstream before the vehicle finally jammed into a stand of trees, where crews were able to reach them, according to the City of Denton Fire Department.
The department said the driver managed to call for help as floodwaters pushed the truck downstream, and multiple boat teams were launched to the scene. Crews reported that their primary swift-water boat was knocked out of service when a log ripped away the tiller, forcing firefighters to rely on a second boat and crew to finish the job. In all, more than a dozen personnel were on the water during the rescue, and Dallas Fire-Rescue sent a boat team to back them up, according to the City of Denton Fire Department.
How crews reached him
Swift-water rescues are among the most dangerous calls responders get, and every minute counts. The risk is not abstract; the National Weather Service warns that just six inches of fast-moving water can knock an adult off their feet and that a foot of water can carry away a small vehicle. That sobering math is why the agency and local departments repeat the same mantra during soaking storms, “Turn Around, Don’t Drown,” especially when heavy rain is in the forecast, according to the National Weather Service.
What Denton crews reported
“High risk, low frequency rescue,” is how the department summed it up in its Facebook post, noting that it took a little over an hour for crews to finally reach the stranded vehicle. Photos from the scene show the truck wedged against trees after being pushed downstream. Fire officials used the close call to remind drivers to stay out of flooded low-water crossings and to respect road closures and barricades that go up when water rises, according to the City of Denton Fire Department.
What officials urge
Local responders stressed that barricades and closure signs are not suggestions; they are there to keep people alive. They are urging residents to call 911 for any water rescue instead of trying to stage their own. Many flood-related deaths happen in vehicles, and drivers are again being urged to pick an alternate route rather than gamble with moving water, according to the National Weather Service.
