Firefighters save 2 people from car trapped in floodwaters

Firefighters in Oregon rescued two people on Monday who were trapped in a vehicle stuck in floodwaters that reached 4 feet, authorities said.

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Tillamook Fire District Chief Jeff McBrayer told KOIN-TV that firefighters with the district’s swift-water rescue team responded after a sedan had been driven into high waters at approximately 6:30 a.m. PST.

Authorities arriving at the scene discovered a motorist and passenger trapped in the vehicle and surrounded by water flowing past it.

The vehicle was trapped near Alderbrook Road in Tillamook County, about a half-mile from U.S. 101, according to KOIN.

“We used a rope system and had our guys wade out and then retrieve the victims,” McBrayer told the television station.

Officials have since closed U.S. 101 due to flooding caused by heavy rains in the area, the Tillamook Headlight Herald reported. The heavy rains have been caused by what meteorologists call an atmospheric river, according to KOIN. The weather system continues to dump inches of rain on Oregon’s coast.

High tides have also contributed to flooding along the coast, according to The Oregonian.

Both adults were safely rescued from the vehicle without injury, McBrayer told KOIN.

“We certainly don’t need to tell you that it’s raining out there,” the Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday. “What we are going to do, is suggest that you stay off the roads if at all possible. Besides for the road hazards and the hydroplaning which can occur, cars can start to float in only a few inches of water, and road washouts are often hidden under water -- so please don’t drive through the water on flooded roadways.”