Dramatic Water Rescue in Scotch Plains, NJ Caught on Video

Flooding in Scotch Plains

• 🌊 A small stream in downtown Scotch Plains, near Park A and Mount A, has transformed into a "3-foot running river" due to runoff from the Watchung Reserve.
• 🚗 Two buses and multiple cars, including a white sedan and a Chevy, were stuck in the rapidly rising floodwaters.

Motorist Water Rescue

• 💡 A driver was rescued from a white car after being told to exit his vehicle.
• 🛟 The individual was fitted with a life preserver, secured to a rope, and pulled through the rushing water to safety.
• ⏱️ While the preparation with flotation devices took about 15 minutes, the actual rescue in the water was completed in seconds.

Other Rescues and Aftermath

• 🚜 Several individuals stranded on Mount Nav were rescued using a front loader and brought to higher ground at a TD Bank parking lot.
• ⚠️ Commuters are waiting at "higher ground" locations for the water to recede before they can return to their homes.
• 📍 The ambulance and several vehicles remain stuck in the floodwaters, with no immediate signs of the water receding.

Witness Account

• 😮 Photojournalist Sean McKenna described the rescue as unexpected, noting the driver casually entered the water before being pulled to safety.
• 🙏 McKenna emphasized the speed of the rescue once the individual was in the water and the evident focus on safety by the first responders.