By Joanna Putman
Police1
TAMPA, Fla. — A 14-year-old was rescued from Hurricane Milton’s floodwaters in Tampa after being trapped on a floating fence, WFLA reported.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office shared video footage showing Sheriff Chad Chronister and a deputy finding the boy floating in deep floodwater in front of a grocery store.
The boy, who had evacuated to a friend’s house during the storm, attempted to walk home afterward but misjudged the depth of the water, according to the report. Unable to swim through it, he became stranded on the fence. Chronister described the scene as “literally out of a castaway movie,” with the boy gasping for air as they rescued him.
After being pulled to safety, the boy was taken to dry land and was able to return home. The neighborhood, though not an evacuation zone, experienced unprecedented flooding, according to the report. Hillsborough County Fire Rescue reported receiving 350 emergency calls overnight, but the total number of rescues remains unknown.
