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Dramatic video shows woman rescued after 14 hours on car in water

The woman, whose car was overturned and partially submerged, was airlifted to safety and taken to a hospital.
Dramatic video shows woman rescued after 14 hours on car in water
Posted at 7:08 PM, Jan 24, 2024
and last updated 2024-01-24 19:32:40-05

California police released dramatic video showing a woman in Lake Del Valle, California being rescued after spending 14 hours clinging to her car in the rushing waters of a creek. 

The woman, police said, had tried to drive across the creek as water was moving at a significant speed after recent rains. Her vehicle then overturned in the creek, where she became trapped. 

California Highway Patrol air rescue officers responded to the location just over an hour east, by car, from San Francisco. The CHP H-30 helicopter rescue crew flew to the scene, working with multiple other rescue units on the ground, to discover the woman desperately holding on to the surface of the vehicle that was not submerged in the flowing murky body of water. 

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In the video, what appears to be a body-worn camera or helmet camera captured the moment a rescue technician was lowered to the vehicle from the hovering H-30 chopper. The woman reached out and was hoisted up in a life preserver ring and lifted to safety. She later received medical treatment at a hospital after being transported by ambulance, CHP said. 

She sustained minor injuries, according to police. 

Police are again urging the public not to attempt to drive through water before being sure of the depth. 

The Alameda County Fire Department shared video of the rescue taken from the ground showing another angle on how fast the water was flowing. 

Rescue crews said the woman had been stuck on her small truck since 7 p.m. local time on Monday night. She was cold when rescuers arrived, but said to be in good condition. 


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