Hero Rescues Mom And Daughter Trapped In Flash Flood

September 21, 2013

The intensity of a huge hail and rain storm Monday raises the intensity of fear for one Lakewood family.

About 3:00 p.m., their car got swept away in a wave of flood water at 21st Avenue and Urban Street—with them inside it.

Stephanie Liddick, 25, and her daughter, McKenna, 6, had pulled their car over because of the intense hail. That hail and debris clogged a drainage gate, resulting in a flash flood that trapped the two.

But a Good Samaritan literally stepped in to the turbulent cold to save them.

"I do home remodeling and repairs," says Merle Cordova of Mayberry Builders in Westminster.

Cordova fixes up houses.

But Tuesday, he fixed a terrifying situation for a mom and her child—his cell phone captured the tense moments, which you can see in the video clip.

"She was waving at me and then I realized all that water flows down to a lake," says Cordova, on the urgency he felt to help the two.

Liddick's 2012 Nissan Versa got caught in a violent flash flood, water and hail tear through the street about four feet high.

"Then, the car started taking on water. I was okay for a minute. Then, it rose seat high and started filling the cup holders," says Liddick.

With her six-year-old in the backseat, she knew she had to act.

"We didn't have a choice. We had to get out of the car," says Liddick.

So McKenna stands on the roof, mom stands in the window, holding her tight, as the car starts to float.

"It was hailing, my feet got hurt my whole body got hurt," says McKenna.

"I originally went in nose first, but too much water was coming in the truck. So, I turned around and backed in and it let me hold onto my truck while I grabbed them," says Cordova.

"He risked his pretty, pretty truck and himself. Not everybody would do it, because nobody else did," says Liddick.

"Pulled her out of the water. Everybody's good, alive and safe so… better get back to work," says Cordova.

The next day, mom picks up McKenna from school.

They learn a valuable lesson outside the classroom about the kindness and bravery of strangers.

"He's my best hero I ever had," says McKenna.

"He is an amazing guy. Absolutely amazing. Very selfless," says Liddick.

After rescuing the two, he dropped them off at a nearby school to get warm. Then, he came back and towed Liddick's car out of the street.

Then, he went to work in his soaking wet clothes until 10:00 Monday night.

He still says it was nothing.

Source: KWGN.com