VIDEO: Men create human chain to rescue woman from Howard County, Maryland flood

ByTim Rearden KABC logo
Monday, August 1, 2016
VIDEO: Men create human chain to rescue woman from Howard County, Maryland flood
Several men created a human chain and rescued a woman during floods in Ellicott City, Maryland.

ELLICOTT CITY, Md. -- Dramatic video captured several men creating a human chain to save a woman trapped in a car being swept away by floodwaters in Howard County, Maryland on Saturday.

The video was shot by Dave Arditti on Main Street in the historic town of Ellicott City, Maryland, at about 8:30 p.m.

A woman is seen in a small convertible that is being pushed down the street by raging floodwaters as people scamper to help.

One man attempting to help is nearly swept away by the current, but he regains his footing and retreats back to safety.

At least four men create a human chain, holding onto each other as they wade through the water toward the woman trapped in the vehicle.

The woman is hesitant to exit the car, but bystanders plead with her to abandon the vehicle.

After words of encouragement, the woman climbs out the passenger side window and into a man's arms.

The other men then help pull the woman and each other back to safety.

Two people were killed while several homes and businesses suffered devastating damage in Ellicott City, Maryland, which is located about 15 miles from Baltimore.

The two people killed, 35-year-old Jessica Watsula of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, and 38-year-old Joseph Blevins of Windsor Mill, Maryland, were both in vehicles that were overcome by floodwaters, according to officials.

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