Woman Pulled From Flooded Car By MN State Trooper Offers Thanks
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Wide spread flooding affected the northern and southern parts of the state after heavy rains on Monday and Tuesday.
It led to a daring car rescue.
Julisa Jones said she was terrified. She was on her way home to Anoka, Minn. from Sioux Falls, S.D. when the road she was on was covered with water that was rising fast.
"I was going too fast, so I went into the water and my car spun," Jones said.
The 21-year-old quickly realized she was in trouble. And she needed to get out of her car fast.
"The ditch, it looked like an ocean wave, and then it was just flooded fields. The water in my car was rising very quickly and I could feel the current was so strong that it was, it kept slowly pushing my car toward the ditch. I thought I was going to die," Jones said.
She called 911, but feared help wouldn't arrive in time.
That's when Minnesota State Trooper Brian Beuning made his way, wading through the floodwaters.
"He didn't know what was going to happen and he didn't care. He just wanted to at least try to save me," Jones said.
Jones went out of her back window and into Beuning's arms. Right after, her car was gone.
"It just literally disappeared in less than 15 seconds," Jones said.
The current was too strong for a boat to save the two. So they braced the cold rushing water until firefighters in special water rescue suits tied to a semi-truck could save them.
Jones is thankful for all the heroes who helped, but especially for Beuning.
"It really touched me and meant so much to me. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here today," Jones said.
The car is still in the ditch. Jones said her truck was in the shop, so that one still in the ditch is a rental.
