A coalition of agencies and a Ferndale resident who provided a tractor saved the life of a 72-year-old woman trapped in her car after driving onto the flooded Fulmore Road around 1:05 p.m. on Monday, according to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office.
In a release, the HCSO said the emergency communication center received a call from the Ferndale resident who told dispatch “that water was rising inside her vehicle, and it was rapidly floating down the road.”
“Humboldt County sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene along with the Ferndale Volunteer Fire Department, the Fortuna Volunteer Fire Department, the California Highway Patrol and a United States Coast Guard (USCG) helicopter,” the release says. “The vehicle was located on Fulmore Road north of Goble Lane, and the water was covering most of the vehicle.”
According to the sheriff’s office, a nearby resident provided the first responders with a tractor, which they used to “transport deputies and emergency personnel to the woman’s vehicle” and the “Ferndale Fire Department further assisted by deploying a swift water rescue swimmer.”
The woman was successfully rescued and taken by the USCG helicopter to a local hospital. She was treated for what the HCSO described as “non-life-threatening injuries.”
“The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office extends its gratitude to the Ferndale Volunteer Fire Department, the Fortuna Volunteer Fire Department, Cal-Fire, the California Highway Patrol, and the United States Coast Guard for their coordinated response and assistance, which resulted in this successful rescue,” the release says.
The release also notes the office is reminding “the public to avoid driving through flooded roadways, as conditions can change rapidly and create extremely dangerous situations.”