2008 Woodie Awards
Flash flood, quick thinking
Graduate student rescues three from flooded car
Sydney Elliot
Issue date: 6/25/08 Section: News
thought processes … so I turned her back towards me and bear hugged her and just pulled her out (after a few tries)."
Drenkhahn said she was glad it was over and wanted only to get cleaned up.
"I (had) never seen such a mess, everything that's in a ditch, leaves, rotten leaves and all that. I'm just glad it's over," Drenkhahn said.
Marvin said opening the door to get the women out of the car was as easy as opening a car door in normal circumstances, but having a passenger window open would have made the rescue effort a bit easier. Marvin said once he opened the door, water started rushing in, and by the time Drenkhahn was pulled from the car, the water was near her chin.
Although the effort to get everyone out of the car safely only took a few moments, Marvin said it wasn't easy.
"The really horrible thing about the situation … was a lot of people weren't helping. No one stopped to see if we were okay," Marvin said. "They kept pushing the water into the ditch making matters worse. A couple of us actually had to stop cars, and the cops had to stop people from going past."
Flooding up and down the Mississippi River has been causing strain on those living along the swollen band of water. Some levees all along the Mississippi were unable to hold out against the strong river.
"I've never seen something like that around here," Patrick Marvin said. "I never thought I would see something like this here. It's record (breaking). It's unbelievable."
According to the St. Louis Army Corps of Engineers Web site, in St. Louis the Mississippi River has reached 37.2 feet, which is about seven feet above flood level. The record high of the Mississippi River in the St. Louis area was 49.58 feet in 1993.
Linda Marvin, Patrick Marvin's mother and a secretary for the department of construction at SIUE said she was concerned about her son still planning on going to work that day.
"There were still tornado warnings, and the sirens had just sounded for Troy," Linda Marvin said. "I just didn't want him to go to work … as a mother I always voice my opinions and tell (my kids) what I think they should do."
Patrick Marvin said he was glad he chose to leave home a few minutes early.
"I felt like I really needed to go (to work that day), and I didn't think it was for that. I just felt I needed to beat the storm," Marvin said. "It's one of those situations where you are in the right place at the right time."
Drenkhahn said she was glad it was over and wanted only to get cleaned up.
"I (had) never seen such a mess, everything that's in a ditch, leaves, rotten leaves and all that. I'm just glad it's over," Drenkhahn said.
Marvin said opening the door to get the women out of the car was as easy as opening a car door in normal circumstances, but having a passenger window open would have made the rescue effort a bit easier. Marvin said once he opened the door, water started rushing in, and by the time Drenkhahn was pulled from the car, the water was near her chin.
Although the effort to get everyone out of the car safely only took a few moments, Marvin said it wasn't easy.
"The really horrible thing about the situation … was a lot of people weren't helping. No one stopped to see if we were okay," Marvin said. "They kept pushing the water into the ditch making matters worse. A couple of us actually had to stop cars, and the cops had to stop people from going past."
Flooding up and down the Mississippi River has been causing strain on those living along the swollen band of water. Some levees all along the Mississippi were unable to hold out against the strong river.
"I've never seen something like that around here," Patrick Marvin said. "I never thought I would see something like this here. It's record (breaking). It's unbelievable."
According to the St. Louis Army Corps of Engineers Web site, in St. Louis the Mississippi River has reached 37.2 feet, which is about seven feet above flood level. The record high of the Mississippi River in the St. Louis area was 49.58 feet in 1993.
Linda Marvin, Patrick Marvin's mother and a secretary for the department of construction at SIUE said she was concerned about her son still planning on going to work that day.
"There were still tornado warnings, and the sirens had just sounded for Troy," Linda Marvin said. "I just didn't want him to go to work … as a mother I always voice my opinions and tell (my kids) what I think they should do."
Patrick Marvin said he was glad he chose to leave home a few minutes early.
"I felt like I really needed to go (to work that day), and I didn't think it was for that. I just felt I needed to beat the storm," Marvin said. "It's one of those situations where you are in the right place at the right time."
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Angela K. Marvin
posted 6/26/08 @ 10:00 AM CST
What a great story about my brother! I am very proud of him, as one can imagine.
Angela K. Marvin
Secretary, Evergreen Hall
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