Hurricane Milton hit Florida earlier this week bringing flooding and storm surge. In a harrowing tale of survival, a 14-year-old boy clung to debris, trying to stay afloat in the floodwaters.
I can't imagine the terror that the teen must have felt at that moment. With water on all sides, the 14-year-old clung to a pallet of wood. It's the same sort of wood used to transport commercial goods. However, the weight of the teen caused much of it to sag into the water. Think about Leo in Titanic, and you'll understand that not all debris can support our weight.
Fortunately, help arrived for the teen. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office shared a video on Facebook showing them come to a rescue. In the video, a couple of officers in a boat are passing along the flooded roads. They stop near a delivery truck and find the teen close by and a little worse for wear.
"Sheriff Chad Chronister and #teamHCSO's Marine Unit rescued a 14-year-old boy who was submerged in floodwaters and floating on debris following Hurricane Milton," the sheriff's office wrote alongside the harrowing video.
Hurricane Milton Floodwaters
The officer reflected on the rescue in an interview with NBC affiliate WFLA-TV. He described it as a moment from the movies. He said,"It was literally out of a castaway movie, him laying on top of a fence, waving us."
In the video, officers told the teen to stay there while they tried to maneuver the boats closer to him. Hurricane Milton brought a lot of water to the area. The teen hopped off the debris and also tried to flag down the officers by throwing his shoes at the boat. Fortunately, officers came to his rescue. They told him, "We're coming to you. Be careful."
He was able to swim to the boat where the officers also pulled him on board. Cronister said the teen was worn out by his ordeal from Hurricane Milton. The boy had tried walking home but got caught up in the waters after misjudging them. The officer also said the teen was "out of breath, gasping for air as we pulled him up."
