ATLANTA — This week marks two months since Hurricane Helene blew through wreaking havoc on parts of metro Atlanta. For one family, they’re thankful to be alive after the car they were in was almost washed away in flood waters.
On Monday, they reunited with the crews that saved their lives.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
The night Hurricane Helene blew through metro Atlanta, the Atlanta Fire Swift Water Rescue team was busy.
“We were going from one to the other,” said Battalion Chief Scott Seely with Atlanta Fire Rescue. They made dozens of rescues that night, including one with a couple and a new baby in trouble.
“We got the call for a vehicle with a family on the top,” said Seely. “We were under time constraints because we didn’t know if the vehicle was going to be stable enough to make the rescue. We didn’t know if it was going to slip. We actually set other units downstream at the Moores Mill Bridge just in case.”
That family was Elisabeth Anderson, her husband, two dogs, and at the time, 7-week-old baby Henry.
“We were very scared but calm somehow,” said Anderson. “I was still worried. We were probably on the car for an hour.”
TRENDING STORIES:
- ‘We want to know what happened:’ Rockdale family seeks answers after man found dead in trailer
- Family says Gwinnett teen collapsed minutes after playing in high school football game
- Man says someone dressed in clown mask chased him with a machete, started swinging
But then came a boat, with Lt. Daniel Queen, firefighter Joseph Polk and Sgt. James Reddick on board.
“I was really excited when we climbed onto the raft,” said Anderson. “We might not be here if it weren’t for them.”
Two months later, the Andersons stopped by Fire Station 11 Monday to reunite with the crews that plucked them from dangerous flood waters.
It’s a moment, that the crews don’t often experience.
“A lot of times with these calls we don’t know the outcome after we get back from the call,” said Seely.
The Andersons left more than just lunch for the crews. They left a donation from Anderson’s company Paragon Bank for the Atlanta Professional Fire Foundation to help buy whatever gear they might need.
The Andersons are certain their Thanksgiving wouldn’t be the same without the Swift Water Rescue team.
“Thank you so much. Thank you, firefighters, for everything you do,” said Anderson.
If you want to donate to the Atlanta Professional Fire Foundation, click here.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2024 Cox Media Group
