Two people trapped atop a swamped SUV on Madison Road were seconds from disaster on Friday, July 17, before a Cincinnati Fire Department boat crew grabbed them out of rushing floodwater near the Oakley-Madisonville line.

Capt. Derek Hunt of Heavy Rescue 14 told reporters Monday, July 20, that one victim nearly slipped into the current as his partner hauled her aboard the rescue boat.

"We almost actually lost one of the victims into the water," Hunt said. "But my partner was strong enough, and made a great grab and pulled her in."

Hunt called the Madison Road rescue the most unusual and intense of the night. He said his crew had been responding to a fire in Norwood when four or five water rescue calls came in at once. They deployed the department's heavy rescue boat to Madison Road, where the SUV sat in what Hunt described as urban rapids.

The two occupants are believed to have escaped through an open sunroof before firefighters pulled them from the vehicle's roof onto the boat. Their identities and conditions have not been released.

'We just don't expect rapids in the middle of the city'

Hunt, speaking to WVXU on Monday, July 20, said the scene bore no resemblance to the Ohio River rescues his team trains for. The river moves fast in a straight line, he said. The Madison Road floodwater was chaotic, tossing the boat even after the crew reached calmer water on the far side of the current.

Across Cincinnati that night, fire crews responded to more than 40 people trapped in vehicles or homes, according to CFD officials who spoke to reporters over the weekend. Lt. Collin Grove of Heavy Rescue 9 described pulling six people from a minivan in waist-deep water and evacuating passengers from a Metro bus sitting in roughly five feet of flooding.

Parts of the city received up to five inches of rain on July 17, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Julie Dian-Reed. Hyde Park residents reported the downpour became a serious flood threat within 20 to 30 minutes.

City officials are investigating whether a Duck Creek flood gate near the Oakley-Madisonville line failed to close during the storm. The city is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the inquiry, though no timeline for findings has been announced.

Safety guidance

Hunt urged residents never to drive through water flowing over a road, even if it looks shallow. Vehicles can stall quickly, he said, and rising water can trap occupants before help arrives.

The National Weather Service encourages residents to keep emergency alerts enabled on their smartphones. Residents can report storm-related debris, blocked roads, or drainage problems by calling 311 within city limits, 513-765-1212 outside city limits, or online at 311cincy.org.