Weatherman Stops Live Broadcast To Rescue Woman Trapped In 'Unsurvivable' Hurricane Helene Flood

As Hurricane Helene continues to wreak havoc, more stories are emerging from those caught in the path of the devastating storm.

The category four hurricane made landfall on Florida’s western coast last night and has since unleashed destruction across several southeastern states. 

While much of the national coverage has focused on Florida, which took the brunt of Helene’s initial impact, states like Georgia and South Carolina have also been battered by severe flooding and storm surges.

One of the cities hardest hit by these floods is Atlanta, Georgia. During a live Fox weather broadcast in Northern Atlanta, meteorologist Bob Van Dillen was reporting on the storm when he heard the desperate screams of a woman trapped in her car as floodwaters rose around her.

At first, Van Dillen called the police to get help for the stranded woman. 

But as he watched the water continue to rise, he realized that emergency responders might not arrive in time. 

Without hesitation, he decided to take matters into his own hands.

Stopping his live report, Van Dillen waded through the flooded streets to reach the woman. 

After a few challenges, he managed to free her from the car and carry her to safety.

Considering how dangerous the storm and floodwaters were, the woman could have been stuck in her vehicle for a perilous amount of time if Van Dillen hadn’t stepped in. 

It ultimately took emergency services around 15 minutes to arrive, which, during a natural disaster, can feel like an eternity due to the overwhelming number of calls they receive.

When asked about the rescue later by Ainsley Earhardt, Van Dillen humbly downplayed what many would call an act of heroism.

“She was panicking. She really wasn’t making too much sense, and she was still strapped into her car seat,” he recounted. 

“So I’m trying to open up the door, Ainsley, and the water pressure wasn’t allowing me to do it. 

Flooding in Atlanta, Georgia, following Hurricane Helene Megan Varner/Getty Images

“So I said, ‘Roll your window down.’ So she rolls it down and … it allowed me to open the door.”

Though Van Dillen had to wade into dangerous floodwaters to save her, he admitted he didn’t fully grasp how risky the situation was in the heat of the moment.

Ultimately, though, he believed she wouldn’t have been able to get out on her own.