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Florida deputy survives getting sucked into storm drain during remarkable rescue
An Escambia County Deputy survived after he was sucked into a storm drain while attempting to rescue a person who was stranded on the side of the road during severe weather Friday morning.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. - "Oh my God!" "I got you." "I almost died." "I'm alive!"
Those were the words a Florida deputy and another man said moments after they were both reportedly pulled into a storm drainage pipe – traveling nearly 100 feet in 30 seconds beneath a flooded highway, which was captured on the deputy's body-worn camera.
Escambia County, which is located in the Florida Panhandle near the Alabama-Florida state line, was hit with several strong to severe storms earlier this week.
According to the video, the deputy reported several stranded motorists stuck in floodwaters along the freeway. The video shows one vehicle with its hazard lights surrounded by water.
The deputy later said he instructed the man to walk towards him, and he suddenly went beneath the water.
The deputy's body-worn camera shows what happens next: he walks into the water to look after the missing man and is pulled beneath the water himself. For nearly 30 seconds, the camera goes nearly black with only the sounds of muffled water – until he emerges on the other side.
The two quickly find each other, catch their breaths, and go over the shock – and presumed amazement – over what happened.
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Florida deputy survives getting sucked into storm drain during severe storm
A Florida deputy and another person survived after they got sucked into a storm drain and traveled 100 feet underneath a highway during torrential rain Friday
"Oh my God! I'm alive," the man says.
"I've never held my breath like that in my life," the deputy said in the video.
Another portion of the video shows the deputy explaining what happened to another deputy.
The man then thanked the deputy for being there with him.
"Thank you for being there when I come out," the man told the deputy, according to the video.
"I feel awful. I told you to come to me," the deputy said.
"It doesn't matter. When I came out, you were right behind me," the man said.