AASHTO Journal - TxDOT Workers Rescue Motorist Trapped by Flood

When rapidly rising floodwaters recently swept through Presidio County during a late-night storm, two Texas Department of Transportation employees stepped in to help rescue a man stranded in the middle of a flooded creek using a front-end loader.

[Above photo by TxDOT]

Their actions highlight the vital role TxDOT employees play on the front lines during emergencies, often working alongside emergency responders to keep Texans safe, the agency said.

Shortly after midnight on July 1, Jesus Hernandez – maintenance supervisor for TxDOT’s Presidio/Terlingua facility – received a call from the Presidio County Sheriff’s office about a man trapped in floodwaters at the Terneros creek – a waterway that sits on the route to Big Bend Ranch State Park and crosses under Farm-to-Market Road or FM 170 about five miles southeast of Presidio.

Hernandez quickly jumped into action with fellow TxDOT maintenance technician Israel Arevalo, who was on call that night; driving a TxDOT pick-up truck to the flooded area, while Arevalo drove a TxDOT loader from the Presidio facility, about 10 miles away from the creek.

Once at the creek, Hernandez and Arevalo carefully maneuvered the loader into the floodwaters, allowing the trapped motorist to climb into the loader’s bucket and be safely transported to higher ground.

“In this situation what we like to do is just go in and get them out,” Hernandez noted in a blog post about the incident. “Just in and out, so we’re not exposed to danger ourselves. The gentleman was really calm. He was happy to jump into the loader, and he was glad to see us.”

This incident also demonstrates the strong partnership between TxDOT crews and local emergency responders for while many emergency vehicles cannot safely enter fast-moving flood waters because they risk being swept away, specialized TxDOT equipment – such as a front-end loader – can provide critical assistance during water rescues.

“It’s a collaboration, and it works really well,” Hernandez said. “We have good communication with our deputies and police officers.”

This isn’t the first rescue for Hernandez and his team as they’ve received statewide recognition multiple times for their past rescue efforts, noted Tomas Trevino, engineer for TxDOT’s El Paso District.

“Rescuing stranded motorists is not something our folks do to be recognized,” Trevino stressed. “They really care about people in the areas they serve.”