Fox Weather meteorologist Bob Van Dillen interrupted a live broadcast out of Atlanta to save a woman screaming for help, trapped in her car in a flood caused by Hurricane Helene.
Van Dillen was reporting just after 7 a.m. from Peachtree Creek in North Atlanta, where a rising flood had trapped a woman in her car. As the woman called for help, Van Dillen assured her that 911 had been called and first responders were on the way. But as the woman continued to shout, Van Dillen decided to embark on his own rescue mission, venturing into the flood and carrying her out of her car and to safety.
About half an hour after rescuing the woman, Van Dillen rejoined the “Fox & Friends” broadcast, where anchors Ainsley Earhardt and Steve Doocy asked him about his heroic act.
“She was panicking. She really wasn’t making too much sense, and she was still strapped into her car seat,” Van Dillen said. “She still had the seat buckle on, and she had her window about this much down and she’s trying to talk to me through that. So I’m trying to open up the door, Ainsley, and the water pressure wasn’t allowing me to do it. So I said, ‘Roll your window down.’ So she rolls it down and … it allowed me to open the door. … The battery is still alive and kicking in that car. In fact, I think the engine is still on … the water itself is relatively warm. The water temperature is about 80 degrees.”