The Lafayette Fire Department made several rescues on Thursday morning during heavy rains and street flooding.
Firefighters helped to rescue a woman who became trapped in her vehicle when it entered flood waters at the Jefferson Street underpass.
The fire department shared a post to their Facebook on Friday, commending the firefighters on their efforts.
Firefighters say when they arrived at the underpass, most of the woman’s car was underwater.
“[Firefighter Jacob Bourgeois] took the tool, busted the window, [and] the car went underwater. We reached in, grabbed her, pulled her out. [We] put a life jacket on her and pulled her to safety,” said Captain Brett Denais.
Denais is among the seven firefighters who assisted in the rescue. He says in a situation of life or death, there’s no room for hesitation.
“Pure adrenaline and teamwork. Like I said, we had no training in water rescue, and it was just spur of the moment. Do what you have to do,” said Captain Denais.
The rescue crew says it took only one minute to pull the woman to safety. They say no matter the call, they act with urgency.
“Anybody that needs us, that’s our job. Anybody that calls, we’re there as fast as possible and safely as possible for their need,” said firefighter Jacob Bourgeois. “Each one of us did our job and our part, and I couldn’t have done it without each and every one of those guys.”
The woman was uninjured during the rescue and is doing well.
Here are the names of all seven crew members who participated in the rescue. Among them are captains, engineers and firefighters.They work for stations 2, 3 and 9 in Lafayette.
- Capt. Brett Denais
- Capt. Chris Duplechin
- Eng. Aaron Sargent
- Eng. Holden Leon
- Eng. Josh Bourque
- Ff. Jacob Bourgeois
- Ff. Nathan Roy
That same day, firefighters also rescued a man in a wheelchair who became stranded on a flooded roadway.
KATC was there for that rescue. View the video below.
