Randy Polly was driving to get gas on Thursday morning when he encountered floodwaters that left him stranded on a patch of dry land in Whitesburg, Kentucky.
A few hours later, he watched from a distance as a man saved an elderly woman and others who were trapped in a house as the water kept rising.
Polly told CNN he could hear people yelling across the flooded road, “Get me help, get help.” Polly called 911, but emergency services were overwhelmed and unresponsive to his calls, he said.
At around 9 a.m., he witnessed someone he described as a “hero” swim over to the house and start banging on a door and window.
A series of dramatic videos taken by Polly and shared with CNN show the rescue. Polly said it took about 30 minutes from start to finish, as the man entered the house through the window and helped each of the three family members leave safely.
Missy Crovetti, who is based in Green Oaks, Illinois, told CNN that the family rescued consisted of her grandmother Mae Amburgey, uncle Larry Amburgey and her brother Gregory Amburgey. They are safe and doing well, she said.
Crovetti’s brother shared pictures that captured the flooding inside the house as the three waited to be rescued. In one of the pictures, you can see 98-year-old Mae sitting on her bed, which is nearly submerged in water.
Crovetti said she does not know the name of the man who rescued her family. Polly also said he does not know the man’s name.
