Woman hoisted off submerged Livermore car after 15 hours

Woman rescued after 15 hours on car in rushing water

A woman spent 15 hours on top of her overturned car in rushing water in Livermore's Del Valle Regional Park before being rescued. Officials said she drove through a flooded road and her car got carried away.

LIVERMORE, Calif. - A woman spent 15 hours on top of a submerged vehicle in Livermore before being rescued.

The Alameda County Fire Department received a call around 10:05 a.m. about a car submerged in rushing water in the 7000 block of Del Valle Road, the address of Del Valle Regional Park, the fire department said.

When firefighters arrived, they saw the woman sitting on top of her overturned car.

Firefighters initially planned to use a truck ladder for the rescue, but the California Highway Patrol dispatched a helicopter to assist with the rescue operation. Livermore and Pleasanton Fire Department also responded.

A woman is rescued in Livermore.

Video footage captured a rescue personnel being hoisted above the water from the CHP helicopter and grabbing the woman, pulling her to safety.

"The water was significantly rapid when we arrived, I can only imagine that last night it was flowing a little heavier," said ACFD Battalion Chief Kent Carlin.

Authorities said that the woman attempted to drive to the other side of a flooded road inside Del Valle Regional Park on Monday around 7:30 p.m. and underestimated how deep the water was. The rushing stream overpowered the vehicle and it overturned in the water. She was swam out of the car and climbed on top of the upside-down car, unable to call 911.

A woman is rescued in Livermore.

"During that time that her vehicle overturned in the water, she lost phone and all other important items not to mention it was a bad coverage area anyway," said Carlin. "You could tell from her condition that she was cold, her hands were discolored, she had been there overnight."

She was taken to a local hospital for a medical evaluation and is expected to be fine.

"She was extremely lucky. Had there been nobody at the campground, she could have been there significantly longer," Carlin said.

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