"We recently had a couple of hurricanes come through here, Dennis &
Floyd, which caused a whole lotta flooding. Well, as we all know flooding
is news and that's where I found myself. Reporter Carter Evans and myself
were live in chest high water for some 6 hours, telling various stories
at a badly hit apartment complex. The next day we were back out there
for a noon live. The waters had come down a bit but were still keeping
people out of their homes. A '98 Suburban was just visible on it's roof.
Anyway, a lady came up to us and pleaded for some help to free her dog
and cat from her apartment. She knew they hadn't been fed in a couple
days and she feared they might die. Since we had another shooter on
scene, Mike who brought the live van, I suggested that if he shot the
whole thing I would get in the 10 foot plus water and help in a rescue.
Mike agreed, and I changed into an extra pair of shorts then in I went.
The water was really brown and cold but the sun was out so it wasn't
that bad. The lady and I swam out to her house, probably 50 or so yards
away. It was weird doing the breast stroke and occassionally feeling
your foot hit a cars roof or antenna. On the womans porch it was only
about three feet deep because the porch was a ways up. At first the
door wouldn't budge, so I layed into it with my shoulder like on tv
(it's easy when the door isn't locked). It opened.
Stuff was floating around like you'd imagine. The cat was looking at
me from the top of the stairs, the dog was trying to hide his large
body under a bed upstairs. There was an air mattress in the bedroom
which came in quite handy. I brought it down stairs and out the front
door. Went back for the cat. As I proceeded down the stairs with the
kitty he didn't seem to like the sight of all that water getting closer
and closer. "You're alright mate" I exclaimed in my best Steve Irwin
voice(Crocodile Hunter), but he didn't hear me. The water was too distracting.
He tensed up. I gripped him tighter. His claws appeared. I held him
away from my bare flesh. He meowed. I smiled. Then I launched him out
onto the make shift mattress/raft. went back for the german shephard/doberman.
I practically had to carry her down the stairs. She was very frightened
by the whole ordeal. She swam a bit when we hit the living room, but
I picked her up and put her onto the raft just to keep her from straying.
I then closed the door best I could when suddenly I heard a scrapping
noise. I whipped my head around to see the cat making a leap for the
gutter. realizing that no one was gonna help get a kitty of the roof
in this situation, my lightening reflexes (as if) kicked in. I snatched
that cat by the scruff of the neck and slammed him into the mattress.
He was fine after the first bounce. We then cast off for dry land. They
used the video all day. Patting the station on the back the whole time,
but it was cool. I've been getting all kinds of weird compliments since.
It was fun, and I'd do it all over again. It made good TV... Anyway,
all my gear seemed to survive with the exception of my wireless. It's
tough going back to the wire for a while, but that's life. Well gotta
go cut a package, what's new..."
More
Photog "Whatchashoot" Stories
-"Would you ever stop shooting
video to help at a scene"
"I had been on scene for 10 mins when a fireman
yells: "There's someone under this van! We gotta move this thing!" There
was no tow truck around. I was standing about 10 feet from the van"
More...
-My Nightmare
"Come to find out a cop had been shot as well,
they killed a guy, and MY CAMERA ISN'T WORKING!!!"
-Aussie Gunplay
"The gunman turned away from us and walked the
other way up the street. PUT THE GUN DOWN! He started to raise one of
the guns he had and... CRACK CRACK CRACK......"
-"I watched a guy die today"
"I see a head move, then a hand. Both slightly stained
with blood, but not much. I figure the guy is coming too and basically
waking up from his drunk. Not the case.. he was gasping for air."
-Chopper Crash
"He got to about a thousand feet and his tail
is cut off and the chopper starts a death spiral."
-Deer Me
"Just as I pass the deer, it is coming back
into my headlights, WHOOOOAAAA! "
