Restaurant Patrons Rescued After Flash Flooding Strikes Chester County
CHESTER COUNTY, Pa. (CBS) -- A night out on the town turned into a scary ordeal for several people as flash flooding left patrons trapped inside a restaurant in Chester County.
"We realized very quickly, we were surrounded on all sides by raging flood water," said Mike Rothwell.
Rothwell was on a double date at Whip Tavern in West Marlborough on Sunday night when flash flooding ripped through the western side of Chester County.
"One of the servers came out and said they needed to close down the restaurant and we all kind of looked at each other really confused and at that pointed everyone started peering out the window," Rothwell said.
Rothwell captured the terrifying moments on Facebook.
Fire crews say at least 25 people had to be rescued.
"I'm driving along and then the next thing you know. Boom, I'm stuck in 5, 6 feet of water," recalled Jake Royal, who was one of about a handful of stranded cars.
"They were very calm, gave me a life preserver jacket and you know they basically just walked me out so I didn't have to swim but just the way that water was going, it was just getting higher and higher. I'm just happy to be safe," said Royal.
Patrons had to wait about two and a half hours for the water to recede in this parking lot before they could take their cars.
The owner of the Whip Tavern says luckily there was not much damage to the inside, mostly outside.
They plan to reopen their business on Tuesday.
