A moving video shows a reporter in hurricane-ravaged Orlando rescuing a woman who attempted to drive through the city’s still-flooded streets on Thursday morning.
The courageous gesture, which was filmed by the journalist’s camera crew during NBC affiliate WESH 2’s live coverage of Hurricane Ian, has now earned Tony Atkins the title of hero.
Published via social media Within hours of the heart-pounding rescue, the video shows Atkins dragging the woman, who was allegedly a nurse on her way to work, out of the window of her nearly drowned vehicle.
In the beautiful clip, the heroic journalist carries the stranded citizen on his back, wading into the rushing current to bring her to safety despite waist-deep flooding.
As if that were not impressive enough, Atkins achieved the feat while holding the woman’s handbag and keeping it dry above the floodwater.
Photos depict the depth of the flooding in the city, where first responders waded through seven feet of water to rescue residents left stranded in the wake of Hurricane Ian.
When questioned why he courageously raced to the woman’s help, risking his life in the process, Atkins replied, “I had to.”
Thursday morning, a video shows a reporter in hurricane-ravaged Orlando rescuing a woman who was attempting to drive through the city’s still-flooded streets.
The daring gesture was filmed by the journalist’s camera crew during NBC station WESH 2’s live coverage of Hurricane Ian; since then, reporter Tony Atkins has been celebrated as a hero.
Published via social media Just hours after the heart-stopping rescue, the video shows Atkins dragging the woman out of the window of her nearly flooded vehicle.
The gallant journalist braves floodwaters up to his waist and carries the trapped citizen on his back, wading through the raging current to get her to safety while keeping her wallet dry.
This morning, an Orlando reporter saved a woman attempting to drive through heavy flooding.
The woman claims she was on her way to work as a nurse when she became stranded; therefore, reporter Tony Atkins carried her out of the sea on his back. pic.twitter.com/s8YSH5nBNJ
29 September, 2022 — LEX 18 News (@LEX18News)
According to Atkins, the unidentified woman chose to drive in the early morning hours despite the hazardous weather because she thought she would lose her job if she phoned in.
Atkins, a former journalist in Milwaukee, provided an update on the woman’s condition on Thursday, stating, “Our woman from early this morning arrived at work.”
According to her daughter, her employment as a nurse was in jeopardy, he continued. Today, I received this note from her daughter.
The journalist’s piece contained a poignant and appreciative response from the unidentified woman’s daughter to Atkins.
“I’m so happy everything worked out,” he wrote.
Atkins achieved the remarkable feat while holding the woman’s pocketbook above the floodwater and keeping it dry.
In a post on Twitter after the incident, Atkins disclosed that the woman, who was not identified, had decided to drive her vehicle despite the hazardous conditions because she feared losing her job if she phoned in sick.
The journalist’s piece contained a poignant and appreciative response from the unidentified woman’s daughter to Atkins.
The video of the courageous rescue, which was shared on social media by Atkins’ coworkers, has since gone viral, with his coworkers and fellow Floridians praising the reporter’s bravery.
‘During our live coverage, our reporter @TonyAtkinsTV stopped to rescue a woman who had become trapped in high floods,’ fellow WESH employee Caelan Dooley wrote in an impassioned tweet as the video began to circulate online.
“What a hero,” she continued.
In the meantime, fellow reporter Marlei Martinez repeated the celebratory thoughts, noting that despite the danger, her colleague also ensured that the woman’s pocketbook was kept safe.
My colleague Tony Atkins has just completed this! Incredible,’ tweeted Martinez early on Thursday morning, just after the rescue. I especially admire how he carried her pocketbook the entire distance.
The clip of Atkins’ colleagues sharing the daring rescue on social media has since gone viral, with his coworkers and fellow Floridians praising the reporter’s valor.
According to Atikins, there was no police enforcement or other individuals in the area who could have aided the trapped woman.
He added, “I simply exercised caution and decided to cautiously approach the area in order to assist her.”
The journalist would then add, “I’m simply glad she made it home safely.”
Since then, he has been praised for saving the woman’s life.
According to Atikins, there was no police enforcement or other individuals in the neighborhood who may have potentially assisted the woman.
When questioned why he courageously raced to the woman’s help, risking his life in the process, Atkins replied, “I had to.”
In a second social media post following the incident, Atkins stated that he had witnessed several hospital employees, including an ambulance, attempting to traverse the flooded roads and make it to work – and nearly drowning in the process.
The journalist proceeded to warn citizens of the city’s current situation as the hurricane swept through Central Florida, having earlier pummeled communities on the state’s southwest coast.
He distributed a map that he believed would assist others in locating a clear street.
“Ambulance nearly drives into a massive ponding on South Orange,” the reporter wrote in a post that included a video of the rescue vehicle trekking through at least three feet of water before reaching a pond.
Atkins added, in an appeal to the local community, “I strive not to provide my own perspective on news items.” I propose, however, that something warning drivers of the pond be placed next to the tape they will only see when they near the water’s edge.
In a second social media post following the incident, Atkins stated that he had witnessed other hospital employees, including an ambulance, attempt to traverse the flooded roads and make it to work – and had nearly entered the floodwater himself.
Ian regained hurricane status on Thursday after inflicting severe flooding and destruction across the state and then diverting off the coast into the Atlantic, prompting the ever-considerate journalist to issue these dire warnings.
At least 17 people have been confirmed deceased across many counties, with Fort Meyers, Naples, and several other southwestern and central cities experiencing major flooding.
As of early Friday morning, more over 2.6 million Florida households and businesses are without electricity.
Despite this, Florida citizens were seen wakeboarding, waving American flags, and even swimming in flooded cities despite 18-foot swells on Wednesday and Thursday as they braved the historic Hurricane Ian.
Photos depict the depth of flooding in Orlando, where first responders waded through seven feet of flooded streets to rescue stranded citizens.
A man takes a can of gasoline to his home in Orlando after heavy rains from Hurricane Ian swamped the central city.
On Wednesday evening, abandoned vehicles littered the flooded streets of Orlando, leaving some commuters stuck on roads.
Some stupid Floridians rose to wakeboard or boat in the momentary surf, while thousands elsewhere were probably still stuck in their homes.
Photos depict personnel deployed in Orlando to rescue some of these individuals, many of whom misjudged the storm’s severity.
As the water levels rose swiftly, others in the neighborhood hurried to shelters or found themselves stuck on rooftops.
Some of the daredevils were forced to be rescued by rescue workers after they disregarded advice from city officials such Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to wait out the storm.
As Georgia and the Carolinas prepare for the now Category 1 storm’s second U.S. landfall on Friday morning, Ian has left a large portion of the state in shambles due to its exceedingly dangerous circumstances.
Hurricane Ian made landfall early Wednesday morning as a Category 4 storm on a coastal community, leaving officials scurrying to address massive infrastructure damage and probable fatalities.
Some residents of the densely populated metropolis surveyed the damage to their neighborhoods using boats. Two of these courageous residents are depicted here, shocked by a nearly submerged Corvette.
After Hurricane Ian wreaked damage and flooding in Orlando, a stranded car is seen on a flooded roadway. Officials have cautioned inhabitants of devastated communities against venturing into still-flooded streets so as not to impede rescue attempts.
Citizens are depicted walking still-flooded streets in Orlando, where water levels were knee-high by morning.
Governor Ron DeSantis disclosed during a news briefing at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday that the state has performed over 700 confirmed rescues to date.
The commotion has also prompted looting in some places, according to Lee County officials, culminating in the implementation of a curfew that will affect more than 413,000 residents.
Both looting and ill-advised attempts to traverse the deadly flooding observed around the state defied law enforcement officials’ Thursday warnings that ‘looting and violence’ would not be permitted in the aftermath.
Officials also stated that driving through floodwaters is extremely hazardous and should not be tried.
After 8 a.m., the storm is predicted to make landfall in Georgia and the Carolinas.
Some Orlando locals chose to make the most of their circumstances by wakeboarding and engaging in other aquatic activities on the water.
On Thursday, roads in the Central Florida metropolitan area remained hopelessly damaged and impassable, as they did in other communities along the state’s southwest coast, where the storm’s wrath was most intense.
Thursday morning in Orlando, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, boys skimboard on a flooded roadway. Officials have issued warnings against such conduct
Thursday in Orlando, a police cruiser closes off a flooded street in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. Since leaving Florida, the storm is expected to make a second US landfall in the Carolinas and Georgia.
This and other downtown Florida parks and public places have remained closed in the aftermath of the tragedy, which has been dubbed one of the worst in the state’s history.
On Thursday, a rescue officer in Orlando is photographed rescuing a dog from the water. Since the hurricane made landfall, over 700 rescue operations have been conducted. Wednesday