WHITE SETTLEMENT, Texas — The White Settlement Police Department released body camera footage showing officers rescuing a family from rising floodwaters, WFAA reported.
The April 24 incident unfolded during a storm that caused flooding in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. Officers responded to a call for help from a family that was stranded in a vehicle.
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The vehicle had tipped over a curb, and its front end was trapped in fast flowing water, body camera footage shows. Three children had safely gotten out of the car.
Sgt. John Banner let the children into the backseat of his cruiser before approaching their mother, who was still in the driver’s seat of the car.
“Stay where you’re at, don’t lose your footing!” Banner warned the woman as he waited for other officers to arrive.
As officers arrived to assist, they assessed how to remove the woman from the vehicle without risking her being carried away by deepening floodwaters.
Officer Chris Wiseman provided a set of jumper cables from his vehicle. Banner attempted to help the woman secure her waist in the cables. Officers ultimately decided to wait for fire personnel to arrive.
Firefighters then used equipment to pull the vehicle from the water, allowing the woman to get out safely.
The woman and the three children were unharmed, WFAA reported. Since the incident, White Settlement Police Chief Christopher Cook ordered that every cruiser be outfitted with a water rescue throw bag.
“What I saw during this rescue was brave police officers doing what they could to save lives,” said City Manager Jeffrey J. James. “I am equally proud of our entire public safety team who pulled together to provide the highest level of service to this family which led to a positive outcome.”
