Local truck driver rescues El Paso family trapped in Juárez floodwaters

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Gerardo Cobos, a local construction truck driver, was driving west of Ciudad Juárez when he heard a distressing scream.

During severe storms that hit Ciudad Juárez last weekend, he heard a woman screaming for help and used his truck to reach a car trapped in a strong flood current, rescuing nine members of a family, including two babies.

He was heading to his employer’s facilities after finishing his shift on Saturday when he noticed vehicles diverting around a flooded roadway near Arroyo de las Víboras.

Cobos said about 100 meters ahead, he saw a car caught in the rushing water and a woman ina yellow shirt calling for help through a window. He decided to approach the car despite the danger posed.

When Cobos arrived, he found the family trapped inside a car swept away by the floodwaters. The car had four adults and five children.

The family had crossed from El Paso to visit their grandmother in the Felipe Ángeles neighborhood in Juárez when heavy rain disrupted their trip.

Rushing water swept their car into a raised road barrier, where it lodged against a speed bump. A small wall prevented the car from being carried farther downstream, but the family remained trapped and couldn't get out without risking being swept away, Cobos said.

Cobos, an operator for Concretos del Bravo, realized that approaching the car could have put him in danger, too, as the current was strong enough to destabilize his truck or push the stranded car back into the water.

Before attempting the rescue, he looked for a section where the water was not as dangerous and carefully maneuvered his truck toward the family, Cobos told Canal 44.