CNN correspondent Drew Griffin was reporting on the impact of Hurricane Harvey in Beaumont, Texas, when a man drove his pickup straight into a flooded ravine right behind them during a broadcast.
The man in the Ford F-150 was quickly swept away in the rushing floodwaters as Griffin can be seen hurriedly rushing over to try and help him get out, calling out to his crew for a power cord to use as a life line.
It’s Griffin and his crew’s quick reaction that likely saved the man’s life, managing to get him out of his truck and the rushing water just a few moments after he drove in while immediately contacting 911. The whole scene played out live on CNN.
This is the second instance (that I’m aware of) where a correspondent has saved a stranded motorist’s life during a live broadcast, following KHOU reporter Brandi Smith and her cameraman heroically flagging down police to rescue a stranded truck driver in north Houston a few days ago.
It’s not surprising that news reporters and other journalists are involved in these rescues as they’re some of the few remaining people on the ground along with emergency responders during major storms. Like the man the KHOU team saved in Houston, the one saved by this CNN team is extremely lucky he had somebody there to help.
Be very cautious if you’re driving in these conditions, and do not ever drive into bodies of water during flooding. There may not always be a news crew standing by to get ratings off of saving your ass.