‘He is in the water’: Linemen brave frigid floodwaters to save driver who was swept away
THAXTON, Va. (WDBJ/Gray News) - Three linemen jumped into action amid Virginia storms, saving a driver whose vehicle was swept up in frigid floodwaters and landing themselves in the hospital in the process.
Tyler Blair, Jeff Dotson and Cameron Lacy are being hailed as heroes for their swift actions. The three Appalachian Power linemen were sent to Thaxton, Virginia, to restore power Saturday night, but they didn’t anticipate how the night would end, WDBJ reports.
The linemen came across a flooded road, which they determined was not safe to cross. Then, an older man drove up to the road, according to the power company.
“We were probably 30 seconds from leaving the area,” Dotson said. “We were going to the next case of trouble, and we noticed a Jeep coming up the driveway. We knew there was only one way in and out of this place. I looked at Cameron in the bucket [truck], and I’m like, ‘Did he really come across that water?’”
The linemen’s job turned into a life-saving operation when the driver decided to cross back over the flooded road.
“He noses in, and the left front tire drops down into the creek off the bridge. Immediately, the rushing water swept the Jeep away,” Dotson said. “At that time, the Jeep turns upside down... for five or 10 seconds or so. I run up and tell the guys, ‘He is in the water.’ The Jeep floats down 200 to 300 feet and gets lodged in between two trees.”
Dotson says the driver then got out of his Jeep.
“He opens the door, steps out and immediately disappears. He has an orange toboggan on, and all we see is it floating down stream. He doesn’t reemerge until he is about 50 feet downstream and actually grabs onto a tree,” Dotson said.
By then, the trio had jumped into action. The power company says they grabbed a rope, secured one end around a tree and the other around Lacy’s waist, allowing him to dive into the water.
“We just reacted,” Blair said. “We saw someone in danger, and there was no second thought of what we needed to do.”
In freezing, fast-moving waters up to his neck, Lacy slowly made his way over to the man, who was still hanging onto the tree limb.
“I get across to the guy, and I can tell he is in bad shape,” Lacy said, “probably minutes away from giving out.”
The linemen quickly got the man to safety. As EMS was taking him to the hospital, Blair realized he needed medical attention, too.
“I was trying to get back in the bucket truck to get warmed up. I made one foot on the step, and my body wouldn’t go any further. So, I turned to Jeff and said, ‘Hey, I need to go in one of those ambulances,’” Blair said.
Both Blair and Lacy ended up in the hospital with hypothermia. Not even 24 hours later, they were out and ready to help the thousands still without power.
“We are going to be restoring the power,” Dotson said. “That’s what we signed up for. That’s what we do. If the power is out, we are going to get it back on. Linemen, we are a jack of all trades. If there is an apocalyptic situation, you want a lineman close to you because we are going to get stuff done.”
The three linemen are now back in West Virginia. Dotson works out of the Williamson office in the state, while Blair and Lacy work out of the Logan office.
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