Deputy dives into sinking, flooded SUV to save Durham driver; 2nd rescue in same area

DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — A Durham County deputy was part of the second rescue of flooded drivers in the same stretch of road in Durham during a flash flood warning Monday afternoon, officials said.

The first flood rescue happened around 3:30 p.m. on a service road along the 4000 block of Durham Chapel Hill Road when a pickup truck driver ended up in a deep sinkhole hidden by rising floodwaters.

Crews and a woman co-worker helped rescue the people trapped in that truck.

The other water rescue was about a quarter mile to the west along a service road on the other side of Durham Chapel Hill Road near South Square Shopping Center.

A Good Samaritan alerted the Durham County deputy to a driver who was in floodwaters under the Tower Boulevard overpass. The road under the overpass has concrete walls on each side and is at the bottom of the hill where several feet of water collects.

“The vehicle was occupied by the driver who was trapped inside due to the rising water from flash flooding,” a Durham County Sheriff’s Office news release said.

Deputy P. Clark went into the water and another Good Samaritan helped break a window on the SUV and open the door.

“As the water continued to rise, the deputy dove into the SUV and pushed the driver to the surface,” deputies said. “The man who stopped to help then assisted the deputy to the surface.”

No one was injured.

The driver said that he misjudged the depth of the water and the SUV became stuck. He was unable to open the SUV door.

“The Sheriff’s Office is grateful to the two men who assisted, without their help, this incident may have had a tragic outcome,” the news release said.

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