Nearly a dozen drivers were deceived by rising flood waters in Gallatin as relentless heavy rain turned tranquil creeks into raging rivers and drivers learned the hard way that the powerful water had the upper hand.
Lower Station Creek Road was overcome by the nearby Station Camp Creek on Friday, and caught in the middle of the rising waters was Charles Benny in his 1975 Jeep Wrangler that stalled out at the most inopportune time.
“I was working on trying to get it running, and the water just kept coming in and in and in,” Charles recalled.
Stranded in the middle of the water, rescuers from Sumner County tried to get to Charles by boat, but the current was too dangerous even for them. Instead a helicopter was brought in and a dramatic rescue played out. First responders landed the chopper on a small patch of land, threw a life jacket and rope to Charles, then pulled him to safety.
Neighbors and NewsChannel 5 viewers watched the entire situation unfold on live television.
“Take it seriously, be careful. Don’t think you can go through it. The water might be deeper than you expect. It came a lot quicker than I thought,” he said after being rescued.
Across town, Melodie Crook left her home so quickly in a rescue boat that she was barefoot when we met her standing on the side of Cumming Lane, waiting for the water to go down so she could return to her flooded home.
“I didn’t get real worried until it got deeper in the house… but I still have my home so that’s good,” she said.
Officials said though dramatic, no one was injured in any of the rescues that took place on Friday morning.
More:
Heavy Rains Cause Flash Flooding In Sumner County
Photos Of Flooding From NewsChannel 5 Viewers
