Highs and lows of the rescue operations as everyone lends a hand

Firefighters’ boat pinned to tree by current

Four members of the Cy-Fair Fire Department involved in rescue operations in the outskirts of Houston, found themselves in trouble.

A firefighter on the way to save people stranded by Harvey fell into floodwaters as he was boarding a boat on a suburban street, Reuters reported.

Three of his colleagues on the boat were able to pull their colleague from the water, but the current pinned the boat to a tree and left them stranded.

The men were eventually rescued by the army. “The boat is tied to a tree. We are walking out with the military,” said one firefighter by radio.

It was just the first hair-raising moment in a long night of rescues by firefighters, police and the national guard as rains from the storm continued to hammer Houston and the surrounding area.

More than 3,000 people had been rescued from their homes by late on Monday.

Reporter covering storm becomes rescuer

CNN reporter Ed Lavandra was with rescuers and a crew covering the storm when they were flagged down by a woman to tell them that she and her two elderly parents were stuck in their home.

Mr Lavandra – who said they were leaving the neighbourhood in Dickinson, Texas, when they saw the women – put his microphone down to help an older man into a boat from waist-deep waters.

Helicopter takes senior citizens to safety

Eighteen people were rescued from a sheltered housing block, La Vita Belle, after a picture of a group of senior citizens trapped in the flooded home went viral, The Daily News reported.

The picture showed at least seven people and a cat in a room with water up to their waists. They were rescued by helicopter on Sunday and taken to safety.

Family on air mattress pulled into rescue boat

A family of five, including three children, were rescued by journalists at ABC13 when they were found trying to escape the flooding on an air mattress near the Barker reservoir in Houston. They were pulled aboard the ABC13 boat.

Pet found tied to pole prompts police warning

A dog found abandoned and tethered to a telegraph pole in Victoria, Texas, as water rose around him was rescued by a press photographer. Officials have repeatedly warned against leaving pets and livestock tied up. Roman Forest police chief Stephen Carlisle said: “I will hold anyone accountable who unlawfully restrains their dog in extreme weather conditions. Dogs are your family members too.”

Hawk cabs it to safety

Taxi driver William Bruso of Missouri City, Texas, was shocked to find a Cooper’s hawk camping out in his cab on Friday. The bird flew in through an open window, apparently terrified of the low pressure and high winds, The New York Post reported. The bird of prey was content to perch on Mr Bruso’s gloved hand as he took it to the Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Coalition of Houston.