Search for Hurricane Ian survivors continues, hundreds already rescued
U.S. Coast Guard videos show dramatic rescues as survivors are airlifted from Florida’s hard hit barrier islands
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - U.S. Coast Guard videos released Friday show crews airlifting people to safety and give a glimpse of the destruction and desolation on some of Florida’s hard-hit barrier islands.
Some of the most dramatic videos come from rescues on Sanibel Island as crews rescue a man whose home is surrounded by flood water. One of his neighbors - an older woman walking through waist-deep water - tells the rescue crew she’s staying and waves goodbye as they pull away.
Another U.S. Coast Guard video shows a man standing alone on the road with downed palm trees all around. He and his wife were each loaded into rescue baskets and lifted into the chopper above. At another stop, crews rescued two people, including a young man desperately clutching his dog as the two are hoisted into the air.
The latest update from Florida’s Division of Emergency Management says more than 700 people have been rescued in Charlotte and Lee counties since Thursday.
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