A barefoot hero risked his life to save a Louisiana man who was trapped in his car during the devastating floods caused by Hurricane Francine.
On Wednesday around 8:45 p.m., Miles Crawford, an emergency room nurse at University Medical Center in New Orleans, ran into the storm after discovering the driver of a pickup truck sinking rapidly in deep water.
During a live television broadcast, the good Samaritan did not hesitate to save the unidentified man after running back to his house to grab a hammer and free the driver.
Video captured the heroic moment Crawford was submerged in metres of water before emergency services could attend to the driver trapped in the Canal Street underpass.
Crawford said Washington State University Reporter Jonah Gilmore: “I had to go in and do it. I’m a nurse, so I have to save lives, right?”
On Wednesday around 8:45 p.m., Miles Crawford (pictured) ran into the storm and saved a man trapped inside his sinking pickup truck.
Crawford, an emergency room nurse at University Medical Center in New Orleans, did not hesitate to save the unidentified man after running back to her home to grab a hammer and free the driver.
The incredible clip began with the station filming the nearly submerged car that somehow made it to the road despite “the area being blocked off.”
As Gilmore described the intense moment, Crawford, dressed in a gray rain jacket, entered the scene, kicked off his shoes and immediately ran toward the driver.
The nurse entered the water with a hammer in her right hand as she jumped over a railing near the van.
After passing the pole, Crawford immediately hit the car window with the hammer to free the driver.
Moments later, the driver, dressed in a tan suit and baseball cap, climbed out of the backseat window and into the water as Crawford picked him up.
The two then headed to shore as Crawford supported the man on the railing as he jumped to the other side.
Firefighters rushed to them and helped bring the men safely to the ground.
Following the rescue, Crawford was interviewed by Gilmore while the driver spoke with firefighters and police at the scene.
Crawford carried the man in the water to a nearby railing before they both reached shore.
Shortly after the rescue, Gilmore returned to meet with Crawford and talk about the intense moment.
“I was watching TV and I saw the police car there, and I saw it backing up, and I saw you in the red jacket. I was kind of interested in what was going on,” he told the outlet.
He explained that working in a stressful job helped him prepare for the moment.
“I’m used to a high level of stress, a very, very high level, you know, on a daily basis,” he said.
As Crawford quickly pulled the man out of the water after freeing him from the car, he said he “just didn’t want him to go under or anything, I didn’t know if he was going to get sucked in.”
He said that when he approached the car window he saw the driver “looking for things,” but quickly informed him that there was no time for that.
“We (nurses) do this every day, so it’s not a big deal… I guess it’s a big deal, but it’s nothing out of the ordinary, so to speak,” she added.
People were quick to applaud Crawford for her quick thinking and courage while her brother Hunter took to Facebook to share his pride.
“My brother is out here saving lives on his day off!” Hunter said.
The West Napoleon Ave drainage channel is seen at about the same level as the road filled with flood water in Metairie, Louisiana, on Wednesday.
Frightened people watch Hurricane Francine from inside the Sheraton on Canal Street in New Orleans
Strangers also praised Crawford for his bravery, with one saying: “Wow! This man is a blessing for doing what he did!”
“You deserve a medal. I hope you’re there when I need help,” wrote another.
A third person said: “Wow, amazing… Miles Crawford is a true hero!”
According to Gilmore, after being rescued, the driver was examined by emergency medical services. His condition is unclear.
Hurricane Francine slammed into Louisiana on Wednesday with 100 mph winds, causing flooding chaos and leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power.
The “life-threatening” storm first hit Terrebonne Parish as a Category 2 hurricane at 5 p.m. Wednesday, with the area hit by strong winds and a devastating storm surge.
It has since weakened to a tropical storm with 35 mph winds that hit this morning.
The center of the powerful storm has since moved toward southern Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, dumping massive amounts of rain and leaving 14 million people under flood warnings.
