Texas First Responders Pull Baby From Car Caught in Flood

A Texas police department is using a close call caught on video to issue a blunt warning about driving through floodwaters, CBS News reports. Bodycam footage released by Beeville police shows first responders wading into a fast-moving creek Saturday to pull an infant in a car seat from a sedan that had been swept off a low-water crossing about 100 miles southeast of San Antonio. The baby was quickly covered with an officer's coat as crews worked to free the remaining occupants; police say no one was injured.

Authorities say heavy rain had rapidly flooded the crossing before barricades could be set up, and that the local fire chief tried—but failed—to get the driver's attention before the vehicle entered the water and was pushed off course. With a flood warning in effect for the Aransas River, Beeville police stressed how quickly crossing conditions can flip from passable to perilous. "Flood water is nothing to gamble with," the department said, noting that even a small amount of moving water can sweep a vehicle away, and urging drivers to slow down and avoid known trouble spots during storms: "No errand, shortcut, or destination is worth risking your life or your family's safety." If barricades are up, it is illegal to drive around them, 3 News reports.