WWAY reporter calls 911 to help rescue driver after flood washes truck off road

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The flood waters across Pender County continue to rise.

Officials say they rose about four feet overnight.

Sections of NC 210 heading into Currie are closed, and for good reason.

Today WWAY reporter Kirsten Gutierrez witnessed a man get swept away in his truck by the flood waters. She had to call 911 to get him rescued.

Kirsten says his large Tundra looked like a toy getting washed away in the flood waters. He was barely able to escape through the passenger side window.

He stood on top of the truck while they waited for the swift water rescue teams to arrive. But while they waited the truck began to sink, and in less than two minutes it was completely submerged, which left him in the rushing waters with nothing but a tree to hold on to.

“Luckily you were close by,” Charlotte Firefighter Greg Braham, who was part of the rescue team, told Kirsten. “He was in the water up to his neck, but we got to him real quick so he was fine.”

Before his truck was washed away, the driver stopped to ask Kirsten not to shoot video of him trying to drive through the flooding.

Braham said this was the first rescue they’ve done in the area. His crew from Charlotte and another crew from Greensboro just got here today to help out. They’ve worked their way up from South Carolina and are going on day seven of water rescues.

Again, stay off the flooded roads. Even if you can see the bottom, do not drive across. It’s not worth it.