TO THE RESCUE!
California gal saved from watery grave
A California teen was saved by rescuers after being stranded on top of her truck when powerful floodwaters pushed the vehicle off the road and into murky waters that rose to at least 8 feet.
Lizbeth Hernandez, 18, was experiencing numbness in her lower extremities by the time rescuers came to her aid in Watsonville early Friday.
The rescuers used a floatation device shaped like a surfboard to pull the youngster — who didn’t know how to swim — to safety.
“If it would have been much longer, she would have probably gone in, and she doesn’t swim, so it would have been a bad result,” Santa Cruz County Sheriff ’s Office Lt. Shon Leonetti told the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
Crying and shivering
Hernandez had been standing in the freezing water for about an hour when she was rescued.
Two men heard the teen screaming for help and rushed to aid her before law enforcement arrived.
“We saw her weeping and crying and asking for help,” Justin O’Brien said. “Then the [Sheriff ’s Office] came straight into action.”
The teen, who only speaks Spanish, could be seen from the road shivering as officials approached.
Water rescue crews used a flotation device to keep her above the murky stream of water’s surface.
“She was experiencing numbness in her lower extremities so we just kept talking to her and keeping her informed that help is coming and just trying to do our best to keep her focused,” Leonetti said.
Officials said Hernandez was expected to make a full recovery.
Hernandez’s car got stuck as a result of an atmospheric river storm that brought flooding and landslides to the Pajaro Valley.
The rain caused water levels to rise — and since the soil was already saturated from other recent storms, roads quickly flooded.
Several areas, including Watsonville, were placed under evacuation warnings Friday.