[UPDATED] Firemen rescue woman from flood on Sando By-pass

Trapped in her minivan in rising floodwater on Friday in San Fernando, an elderly woman prayed for God to send angels to her rescue.

Myrtle Benjamin told Newsday that God responded to her cries by sending the fire officers, whom she called angels.

They toted her out of her van' window and carried her through the floodwater to safety.

Benjamin, who is in her 70s, added, "The water kept coming up, and the rain would not stop. Cars were passing in the water. After the van shut down, I tried to open the door. I could not find my cell phone to call anybody. I later found it in the back seat in a bible."

Benjamin, who lives in Marabella, as well as another driver, Timothy Mohammed, 24, from Siparia, escaped death while trying to drive through floods on the San Fernando By-pass Road near the roundabout near South Park on Friday afternoon.

Mohammed was driving behind Benjamin shortly before 2 pm when the floodwater washed his car into a river. He managed to get out before the water pushed his car further into the river.

"It is a good thing I did not see when that happened because I would have panicked," Benjamin said.

But she saw Mohammed walking through the floodwater.

She praised Mohammed and an eyewitness, Allan Moonah, for offering her words of encouragement during the ordeal.

Benjamin added, "They kept telling me to stay calm and not worry. They told me not to open the door."

She was stranded for about 30 minutes before Mon Repos fire officers responded.

Benjamin and Mohammed were heading towards Marabella.

The pensioner told Newsday that she was on her way to visit a friend in La Brea.

While on the By-pass Road near Rushworth Street, the rain started falling heavier, and part of the road was flooded.

She spoke to her husband, who suggested that she return home out of an abundance of caution.

It was on her way home that her van stalled.

Mohammed recalled two vans drove past him, causing the floodwater to push his car off the road.

He managed to get out before it was swept into a nearby river. The car got stuck upside down on a pipeline.

Mohammed said he was going to a credit union in Marabella to do business. He managed to get out before the fire and police officers arrived at the scene.

"Water was soaking in the car. I lived on this side for about a year and had never seen the water this high," he said as he watched the ruins of his car.

The road was impassable for over an hour before the water subsided and traffic flowed freely.

Insp Phillip and other police from the Southern Division visited the scene.

On August 23, Annan Boysie, 40, who worked with Amalgamated Security Services Ltd, drowned while trying to drive through floodwater in Princes Town at around 5.30 pm.

Boysie was driving his Isuzu van along M1 Tasker Road near Cedar Hill Estate Road when he tried to drive through the floodwater but the van was swept away into a river on the southern side of the road.

Passers-by tried in vain to save him. Later, fire officers and civilians retrieved the van and Boysie was found unresponsive in the back seat. A DMO declared him dead.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management advises that, in the event of flooding:

• Do not walk or drive through flood waters of unknown depth and current (six inches of moving water can knock an adult off their feet). STAY AWAY from moving water.

• Stay away from drains and culverts. Swiftly moving shallow water can be deadly, and even shallow standing water can be dangerous for small children.

This story was originally published with the title
"Man's car washed away in San Fernando flood, fire officers rescue woman" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

Two drivers, an elderly woman and a 24-year-old man, escaped death while trying to drive through floods on the San Fernando ByPass Road near the roundabout near South Park on Friday afternoon.

The man, Timothy Mohammed from Siparia, managed to get out of his car before it was washed into a river.

But Myrtle Benjamin, who is in her 70s, was trapped in her minivan in rising water. The van had stalled, and she was unable to get out.

Both drivers were heading towards Marabella.

Mon Repos fire officers toted Behjamin out of her van and carried her through the floodwater.

“I kept praying for God to send angels, and he did,” she said, referring to the fire officers.

She also praised Mohammed and an eyewitness, Allon Moonah, for offering her words of encouragement during the ordeal.

“They kept telling me to stay calm.”

The road was impassable for over an hour before the water subsided and traffic flowed freely.

Insp Phillip and other police from the Southern Division visited the scene.

This story was originally published with the title "Man's car washed away in San Fernando flood, fire officers rescue woman" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

Two drivers, an elderly woman and a 24-year-old man, escaped death while trying to drive through floods on the San Fernando ByPass Road near the roundabout near South Park on Friday afternoon.

The man, Timothy Mohammed from Siparia, managed to get out of his car before it was washed into a river.

But Myrtle Benjamin, who is in her 70s, was trapped in her minivan in rising water. The van had stalled, and she was unable to get out.

Both drivers were heading towards Marabella.

Mon Repos fire officers toted Benjamin out of her van and carried her through the floodwater.

“I kept praying for God to send angels, and he did,” she said, referring to the fire officers.

She also praised Mohammed and an eyewitness, Allon Moonah, for offering her words of encouragement during the ordeal.

“They kept telling me to stay calm.”

The road was impassable for over an hour before the water subsided and traffic flowed freely.

Insp Phillip and other police from the Southern Division visited the scene.