An off-duty nurse acted heroically last Wednesday when he saved a man who was trapped in flood waters during Hurricane Francine.
According to PEOPLE, Miles Crawford is an emergency room nurse at University Medical Center - LCMC Health, in New Orleans. Notably, he is also studying to become a nurse practitioner. On September 11th, around 8:45 PM, Crawford was watching as Hurricane Francine made landfall, as a Category 2 storm.
Crawford, having lived through "quite a few hurricanes," said that he was not "worried or anxious." Such a level of calm certainly played a role in Crawford's smooth operation as the night wore on.
Crawford was first alerted of potential danger by his brother, who texted him that a news crew was live streaming roughly 200 feet from Crawford's home in Lakeview. Crawford was concerned that the area the crew was streaming from, was known to flood quickly. As a medical professional, Crawford made his way toward the crew to check things out. Once there, he was informed that a man was trapped inside his truck, and water levels were rising dangerously quickly.
Emergency Room Nurse Rescues Man Trapped During Hurricane Francine
Upon arrival at the scene, Crawford asked both a cop and the news reporter what he could do to help. The scene was described as "scary and frantic" by Jonah Gilmore - the reporter running the livestream. Likewise, the cop on-site warned that the waters were some "8 feet deep," and that a rescue attempt would be too dangerous. Regardless, Crawford grabbed a hammer from his home, slipped off his boots, and waded toward the truck.
Crawford's background as a nurse played a massive role in his rescue. He remained calm, as he told the trapped man to move to the backseat. Water was at Crawford's chest as he worked, and it was above the trapped driver's chin. Time was of the essence, but Crawford moved swiftly and without panic. The nurse broke the window, and pulled the man from the flooded truck, saving his life.
Crawford refused to accept much praise after the fact. He was quick to note that his rescue was easier work than what is required as a nurse in the emergency room each day.
