‘SO GRATEFUL’

Watch: ‘Hero’ Florida Reporter Rescues Woman Trapped by Floodwaters

WESH 2’s Tony Atkins sprang into action to save a nurse who had attempted to drive through the high water on her way to work.

A news reporter covering Hurricane Ian early Thursday found himself thrust into the unlikely role of hero, when he rescued a woman whose vehicle was caught in rising floodwaters. WESH 2’s Tony Atkins and the television news crew with him were at an Orlando intersection when they spotted the woman, a nurse attempting to get to work, signaling for help. Atkins waded into the waist-deep water and was able to carry the woman out on his back. Atkins told his network that no law enforcement had been on the scene to render aid, and that he had looked around for hazards like crocodiles and downed power lines before attempting the rescue. “I just used caution and just decided to slowly make my way out there and just help her out,” he said. Following the rescue, Atkins shared a text from the woman’s daughter on social media, letting him know that she had gotten safely to work. “We are so grateful for you!” the daughter wrote. “A true hero.”