Reporter makes impromptu rescue in Harvey floodwaters
By Lindsey Ellefson
CNN correspondent Drew Griffin and his crew on Wednesday rushed to rescue a man who accidentally drove a truck into a flooded ravine that looked like a street in Beaumont, Texas."We just literally rescued this guy out," said Griffin, who missed his live shot to help out. He was reporting from the Texas city east of Houston about the widespread flooding in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.Griffin alternated between telling "Newsroom" anchor John Berman what the situation looked like and ensuring the driver, Jerry Sumrall of Winnie, Texas, wasn't hurt."Come on, sir, let's get you up and into the dry," Griffin said to Sumrall. "How are you doing? Lord have mercy, this is too much of a time for you to be interviewed right now. Are you doing all right? Your heart doing OK? You're alive, sir. You're alive."Still holding a rope used in the rescue, Griffin told Berman, "There was no time to call 911. He was floating down this ravine. That's his truck right behind me."Producer Brian Rokus, who aided Griffin in the rescue along with photographer Scott Pisczek, later said, "We heard it (the truck) fall into the ravine."Following the rescue, Sumrall took a moment to collect himself before saying, "I want to thank these guys for saving my life."
CNN correspondent Drew Griffin and his crew on Wednesday rushed to rescue a man who accidentally drove a truck into a flooded ravine that looked like a street in Beaumont, Texas.
"We just literally rescued this guy out," said Griffin, who missed his live shot to help out. He was reporting from the Texas city east of Houston about the widespread flooding in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.
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Griffin alternated between telling "Newsroom" anchor John Berman what the situation looked like and ensuring the driver, Jerry Sumrall of Winnie, Texas, wasn't hurt.
"Come on, sir, let's get you up and into the dry," Griffin said to Sumrall. "How are you doing? Lord have mercy, this is too much of a time for you to be interviewed right now. Are you doing all right? Your heart doing OK? You're alive, sir. You're alive."
Still holding a rope used in the rescue, Griffin told Berman, "There was no time to call 911. He was floating down this ravine. That's his truck right behind me."
Producer Brian Rokus, who aided Griffin in the rescue along with photographer Scott Pisczek, later said, "We heard it (the truck) fall into the ravine."
Following the rescue, Sumrall took a moment to collect himself before saying, "I want to thank these guys for saving my life."