OLD MONROE, MO (KTVI-FOX2now.com) -
Wicked weather in Lincoln County leads to a dramatic rescue after a teenager's car runs off road, winds up in a ditch and starts to fill with water. It happened during the height of Wednesday night's storm.
Thursday, an off duty Lincoln County Sheriff's Department sergeant was being hailed a hero. Fire officials here say the area got two inches of rain in just about 20 minutes on Wednesday night. That led to flash flooding and a situation that 17 year old Amanda Keeteman never saw coming.
"I don't think I've ever been that scared," said Amanda talking about the ordeal.
She was behind the wheel of a Chevy Cobalt when it ran off Highway C in Old Monroe about ten Wednesday night. Amanda tells us the road was completely covered by water. She says she slid into a ditch and before she knew it water was coming into her car fast. What's worse is that she couldn't get her door open.
"I've never been in a situation like that, I've never been in any accidents or anything; especially when I felt the water coming up in my car, that's the thing that freaked me out the most," explained Amanda.
The 17 year old called her mom Lynn.
Lynn told us, "I couldn't hardly even make her out. I mean she was just hysterical because it had happened so quickly."
Before Lynn could get to the scene, Lincoln County Sheriff's Department sergeant Joe Henke rolled up. He was off duty and just happened to be driving home when he saw Amanda's car. Henke rescued Amanda- helping to pull her out of the passenger side window.
"I was reassuring her that everything was alright and not to be upset over it and just trying to keep her calm so I could get her out of the car before anything else happened," said Henke.
The Chief of the Old Monroe Fire Protection District, Chris Blevins, says the road was like a river.
Blevins said, "That water came up probably within five minutes- three feet over the roadway within five minutes."
While we were with them, Amanda and her family found one of the flip flops she was wearing when the crash and rescue happened. Amanda is grateful for sergeant Henke.
"I was just really lucky that he was there because I wouldn't have known what to do," said Amanda.
Amanda was only minutes away from her home when the incident happened. She says the water was up to around her knees when sergeant Henke got her out. Henke doesn't consider himself a hero- he tells he's just happy he was in the right place at the right time to help.
Thursday, an off duty Lincoln County Sheriff's Department sergeant was being hailed a hero. Fire officials here say the area got two inches of rain in just about 20 minutes on Wednesday night. That led to flash flooding and a situation that 17 year old Amanda Keeteman never saw coming.
"I don't think I've ever been that scared," said Amanda talking about the ordeal.
She was behind the wheel of a Chevy Cobalt when it ran off Highway C in Old Monroe about ten Wednesday night. Amanda tells us the road was completely covered by water. She says she slid into a ditch and before she knew it water was coming into her car fast. What's worse is that she couldn't get her door open.
"I've never been in a situation like that, I've never been in any accidents or anything; especially when I felt the water coming up in my car, that's the thing that freaked me out the most," explained Amanda.
The 17 year old called her mom Lynn.
Lynn told us, "I couldn't hardly even make her out. I mean she was just hysterical because it had happened so quickly."
Before Lynn could get to the scene, Lincoln County Sheriff's Department sergeant Joe Henke rolled up. He was off duty and just happened to be driving home when he saw Amanda's car. Henke rescued Amanda- helping to pull her out of the passenger side window.
"I was reassuring her that everything was alright and not to be upset over it and just trying to keep her calm so I could get her out of the car before anything else happened," said Henke.
The Chief of the Old Monroe Fire Protection District, Chris Blevins, says the road was like a river.
Blevins said, "That water came up probably within five minutes- three feet over the roadway within five minutes."
While we were with them, Amanda and her family found one of the flip flops she was wearing when the crash and rescue happened. Amanda is grateful for sergeant Henke.
"I was just really lucky that he was there because I wouldn't have known what to do," said Amanda.
Amanda was only minutes away from her home when the incident happened. She says the water was up to around her knees when sergeant Henke got her out. Henke doesn't consider himself a hero- he tells he's just happy he was in the right place at the right time to help.
