The Coast Guard came through for several people in distress when six adults, three children, and a dog were stranded near Navarre Beach on the Florida Panhandle as a result of Hurricane Sally.
The Ohio Valley Shallow Water Response Team of the Coast Guard located the group during a Sept. 16 patrol in the wake of the hurricane, according to a U.S. Coast Guard news release. The group had run into trouble while trying to evacuate a flooded area.
A person looks at a flooded neighborhood as Hurricane Sally passes through the area on September 16, 2020 in Pensacola, Florida. Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Shallow Water Response Teams had prepared to provide aid in the aftermath of the hurricane and had pre-staged themselves in highly impacted areas. “Pre-staging,” the release explained, allows teams to provide rapid responses to urgent requests and search-and-rescue efforts when they are needed.
The U.S. Coast Guard posted photos from Navarre Beach on their Facebook and Twitter pages, announcing the successful rescue just hours after ensuring the group of 10 was safe on higher ground. Along with the tweet, they hashtagged “#Sally, #USCGSally, #Ready, #Relevant, #Responsive, #Storm2020.”
In the photos, Coast Guard members and rescuees are shown in good spirits, donning orange life jackets and boating to safety under overcast skies. A shot of the rescue vehicle transporting its passengers to safety reveals the extent of the flash flooding near the beach; road demarcations are rendered completely submerged underwater.
The day following the Navarre Beach rescue, fire departments from Palm Harbor, Eastlake, Lealman, Oldsmar, Safety Harbor, St. Petersburg, and Treasure Island all deployed to the Florida panhandle to carry out additional rescue and relocation operations for stranded citizens, WFTS reported.
The National Hurricane Center has warned that Hurricane Sally, which began at sea on Sept. 11, still poses a threat and may cause flash flooding in Georgia while en route to the Carolinas.
The U.S. Coast Guard reminds all citizens in affected areas to prepare for potential hazards such as storm surges, debris, and flash flooding.
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Louise Chambers
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Louise Chambers is a writer, born and raised in London, England. She covers inspiring news and human interest stories.
