Father, Daughter Rescued From Flooded Car In Leominster
LEOMINSTER (CBS) -- A father and daughter were rescued from their flooded car after a risky rescue Monday morning.
Matt Marcil was driving his 14-month-old daughter Ava out of the parking lot of the mall at Whitney Field, which had flooded out.
Their car wound up in a nearby drainage ditch, and the Leominster Fire Department was called around 7:30 a.m.
Marcil said he didn't realize the parking lot had ended.
Leominster Firefighters donned rescue suits and went into the water to get the man and child out.
"We were able to get my daughter out first, they had me pull her out and pass her through the window. She was a little scared at first but nothing too bad. By the time I got out, I was in the ambulance and she was just having a great time like nothing ever happened, it was awesome," recalled Marcil.
Neither Marcil nor Ava were hurt, but their car did have to be towed from the water.
"I saw some lines, painted lines, in the parking lot so I thought the water wasn't really that deep," Marcil explained.
While Marcil was embarrassed and said his car was a total loss, he also said there is good news: insurance will be paying for it.
The department said the overflow of the Nashua River causes the ditches to flood out--and said it's a common issue when there is heavy rain in the area.
They said they had to respond to the same parking lot later in the morning for a second, similar call.
