14-year-old found floating on fence in Tampa floodwaters after Hurricane Milton

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A 14-year-old had to be rescued after Hurricane Milton’s floodwaters trapped him on a floating fence in the middle of Tampa.

Video published by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office showed Sheriff Chad Chronister and a deputy finding the boy floating in front of Teresa’s Grocery on North 15th Street in Tampa.

“Stay right there,” the rescue crew told the boy as they spun their boat back around to grab him.

In an interview with 8 On Your Side’s Melissa Marino, Chronister explained that the boy had evacuated from Hurricane Milton and was staying at a friend’s house.

However, when the boy tried to walk back home after the storm, he underestimated how deep the water was and could not swim well enough to get through.

“It was literally out of a castaway movie, him laying on top of a fence, waving us,” Chronister said. “Out of breath, gasping for air as we pulled him up.”

Once the boy was pulled out of the floodwater, he was taken to dry land where he could make it back home safely.

According to the sheriff, the neighborhood was not an evacuation zone and suffered flooding like he’s never seen.

Hillsborough County Fire Rescue reported that 350 911 calls were made between 9:30 p.m. Wednesday and 3:30 a.m. Thursday. However, it is not known exactly how many people have been rescued yet.

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