A FOX Weather Meteorologist who was covering the floods from Helene did not predict a heroic rescue in his forecast. Helene was a hurricane but has been downgraded to a tropical storm.
Meteorologist Bob Van Dillen became the center of attention after he jumped into action to save a woman who had driven into floodwaters along Peachtree Creek in Atlanta, Georgia.
The video shows the woman’s vehicle fully submerged in water as she clung to Van Dillen. Van Dillen told journalists at that station that he gave the woman his shirt because she was cold.
Watch Meteorologist Save Woman from Floodwaters in Atlanta
Imagine covering a storm and suddenly becoming its unexpected hero. That’s exactly what happened to Meteorologist Bob Van Dillen. Here’s the scoop—Van Dillen didn’t just forecast the weather. He stepped up and saved the day! While monitoring the floodwaters caused by Tropical Storm Helene, he noticed a woman trapped in her car, submerged in the notorious floodwaters of Peachtree Creek.
Without a second thought (or a forecast map), Van Dillen was in the water, pulling off a heroic feat. The video of the incident captured the intense moment when the woman wrapped herself around Van Dillen, holding onto him like a lifeline. To top it off, he gave her his shirt because she was shivering from the cold. Talk about going above and beyond!
‘I Gave Her My Shirt’
“We put her in the car. She was cold,” Van Dillen later recounted. “I gave her my shirt. Her husband is going to pick her up. The fire truck came.” It’s like something right out of a movie. The cherry on top? The woman’s husband was immensely grateful and couldn’t thank Van Dillen enough. And true to his big-hearted nature, Van Dillen simply replied, “Anytime. I’d do it again.”
He also had a piece of advice for the grateful husband: steer clear of that flood-prone area. Wise words from someone who knows the terrain, wouldn’t you agree?
Multiple Rescues Made in the Area
Van Dillen mentioned that numerous rescues were carried out in the same area. “This is the Peachtree Creek, and we had video footage of all the rescues happening,” he elaborated. “It’s about a mile down the way. Sixty people were rescued from that Peachtree Park Apartment complex, including 12 pets.”
And if that wasn’t enough to make you pay attention, here’s another eyebrow-raiser—the water levels were flirting with century-old records. “It reached 23 and a half feet. The highest it’s ever been was about 25 feet back in 1919,” Van Dillen said.
Here’s to hoping everyone stays safe and dry! And huge kudos to Bob Van Dillen for proving that sometimes, the best forecasts are the unexpected acts of heroism.
