Isaias aftermath: Tow truck driver aids rescue girl from flooded Belmont Avenue

BELMONT HILLS, Pennsylvania (WPVI) — The heavy rain dumped on the location by Tropical Storm Isaias on led to flooding throughout the region, together with a fast paced intersection just off the Schuylkill Expressway.

It seemed like river rapids as water gushed down Belmont Avenue at the ramps to I-76 all around midday Tuesday.

“In about two minutes, the drinking water just came out of the drainpipe up there and flooded the overall region, and was about 3 feet higher,” claimed Jerry DeFrancesco of Bala Motor Sports, a nearby small business.

Two motorists grew to become stranded in the floodwater immediately after two drains became clogged with debris.

Bala Motor Athletics personnel Rick Ortiz backed up his tow truck to pull one girl to basic safety.

“The drinking water received so superior up. I just came around and claimed, ‘look, I can rescue them for the reason that it really is finding too insane,'” Ortiz stated.

Soon, Reduced Merion firefighters arrived and moved as a staff across the engulfed Belmont Avenue. They brought a further driver and one particular of Ortiz’s co-personnel to security.

“I function in the place of work. I observed the drinking water coming large, so which is when I told myself ‘I gotta get out of there,'” said Bala Motor Sports worker Maria Oyola.

“They had been just terrified. It is insane since in a make any difference of seconds if you you should not have your windows down you can suffocate, but we bought them out so that’s all that matters,” explained Ortiz.

The cleanup followed and Belmont was reopened all-around 3 p.m. The good news is, anyone associated was okay.

“Which is how I am,” Ortiz explained. “I really don’t leave no person at the rear of.”

The Motion Cam was in Darby, Pa. where by water rose over cars and trucks, and the doorways of homes.

Rescuers had been observed bringing two small children to dry land there.

In Chadds Ford, Delaware County, two automobiles turned stranded on Creek Street, not far from Baltimore Pike.

Firefighters made use of a boat rescued two folks from the autos.

In Doylestown, Bucks County, the high winds triggered injury to Doylestown Medical center, partially tearing the roof off the Kid’s Village working day care. County officials mentioned there ended up no reviews of really serious accidents.