Arkansas Blog

The thing that most disturbs me about this video is that it sure seems as if news 4 people would've just sat and watched that woman drown if other rescuers hadn't come, reportomg on the drowning. Did it not dawn on these people that they might need to help?

I want to know why on earth someone would stay in a freaking car that is floating and sinking? At one point, the woman has the window rolled down and is partially out of the window talking to the first guy who drove up. Talk about a candidate for a Darwin Award!

InLivingColor: I believe the Channel 4 people were on the opposite of the "lake" and might not have been able to do anything.

Cammack:

You asked and answered your own question:

Q: "Why on earth would someone stay in a freaking car that is floating and sinking?"

A: "...the woman..."

Just happened to turn Channel 4 on last night right before this incident happened live on camera. A man described on the air as a 'passerby' backed up his truck and proceeded to get a rope out and tie it to his vehicle (bumper?). I thought he was preparing to tie the other end to the vehicle in the water and pull it out to higher ground. That's when the SUV in the water began to float into deeper water and sink ever lower with the driver still inside. I have no idea why the female driver stayed in the sinking vehicle- couldn't swim? Panicked in that situation?

At that point the SUV was almost completely under water with only the roof visible and the passerby rushed into the water to aide the driver. Several firemen had just arrived and did the same. The firemen grabbed something from their truck that they used to break a passenger side window out and free the driver.

Harrowing experience, I'm sure. Anybody who watched that video want to drive into water like that now?

Looked to me like the 'passerby' may have been a volunteer fire or rescue person as he seemed well prepared for such an unexpected event. He had a rope in his truck and quickly went to work tying it to his vehicle in what looked like a good plan to pull the SUV out of the water.

Either way, trained or not, he sure gets my tip of the hat for such a heroic deed under difficult circumstances.

Really, REALLY nice response, Floyd.
I can't view the video so my comment might be off target, but if the water was high enough to float an SUV AND there is current, she could easily be swept away by even 12 inches of water. I was at UALR in the 1978 flood and waded near-knee-deep water to get to the "safety" of a building. Although I wasn't swept off my feet, it was touch and go there for a few feet. I would have been better off to stay in my car.
And before you "a woman " me, the water I had to wade was on the UPPER part of campus, but running off through a slight swag from higher up the hill.

The crews may have been west of her, but KARK studios are east - and not very far east, I might add.

I figure she was terrified of being swept away or couldn't swim. I'm still curious to know what actions KARK took to help the woman, if any.

I can joke about it because she's ok...

I can't view the video either...the network at work blocks weird things...but from the description of the event it does sound a bit scary, and I am glad that she's ok.

As for the crew covering the incdent...no, I don't think it dawned on them for a moment that a human being was in danger...all they saw was a story, because that's what they do.

First off, I'm glad no one was seriously hurt.

The story says that one vehicle was already submerged when the bar patrons walked over to the area, this fact rules out flash flooding there was already a large body of water. So this woman in an SUV decides to enter a flooded underpass - she must have seen video of Range Rovers crossing rivers on NatGeo or something.

Honestly! These SUVs are dangerous in the extreme, people think they're indestructible tanks that can go anywhere in any condition when all they are is a big assed EXPENSIVE truck. Just wait, we'll see the same mentality when the snows come.

I'm glad the woman & kid are safe, I hope she gets rid of the SUV.

"I hope she gets rid of the SUV."

And replaces it with a brain.

Thomas Hudson is a hero. He performs really kind and brave acts all of the time. In fact, I think that he's down in Camden right now helping to clear storm damage. He's made several trips down to New Orleans to help re-build and to photograph the scenes. It doesn't surprise me that he had rope in his truck; he's always ready for something. On top of all that, he's extremely humble. I ran down there just as he was coming out of the water last night...He immediately started acting as if he hadn't done anything special...That video is incredible. Couldn't help but to cry watching him try to punch that window out...He is an inspiration.

Hopefully this link works.

In case anyone needs it the link below has the place where this happened. Whitewater Tavern is walking distance just northwest of the bridge. You can see what it looks like during the day thanks to google's street view.

Sometimes it's best for people to do nothing -- especially in moving water. It's possible that the other passersby couldn't swim or were ill equipped -- physically or mentally -- to attempt to help. There is no need to add to the number of victims that must be rescued unless you feel pretty certain you can help without becoming a victim yourself.

The water wasn't rushing anywhere. It was like a bathtub and was calm. In the middle, it was deep enough to cover an SUV so maybe 6 feet?? The lady was hanging her head out of the window when she was only in a couple of feet of water. At some point, she made the Darwin-decision for her and her son to stay in the car rather than getting their jeans wet from the knees down. My wife and I were yelling at the tv for her to walk out, but apparently she couldn't hear us.

Kudos to the young man for responding like he did and to the LRFD for impeccable timing. Another couple of minutes and this story could have ended badly. You can see the young man trying to break the glass on the passenger side but luckily the FD had an axe. So did the lady ever roll up her driver side window? I guess they just broke the glass on the nearest side to get them out.

Courage comes as easily from a cushioned seat in front of a computer as from the bottom of a bottle.

Out in the real world, not so much.

When he was a child, Thomas Hudson had good parents.

That underpass has been flooding for decades. I didn't see any barricades on the street in the video. It's easy to see how a motorist unfamiliar with the road could get into that situation.

How difficult would it be for the city to install a flood-detection switch and warning lights to alert motorists when it is unsafe to drive through?

Thomas Hudson showed up on my front lawn the day after the February tornado near Cammack Village in 08. We lost some 25 large trees with several leaning against my house on Ridge Rd.I was overwhelmed. He said he wanted to help, so he made phone calls to friends and got an entire crew together in a matter of hours. Thomas orchestrated the removal of all the trees--a job that one tree company had quoted me $10,000 for. Thomas wouldn't accept a dime. The only repayment I could give him was to return the favor to a stranger as he did to me. When the Mena tornado hit, my wife, son, and I went with Thomas to help. It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Don't just admire Thomas for being something "special" for helping that woman and her son. Instead, reach down in yourself and find that hero within. That's what Thomas wants for repayment. He won't regret it.

Thomas Hudson = American hero. Saw him tonight on tv and he came across as ordinary, humble.
According to the above comments, he is anything but ordinary.
Thanks for a heroic effort, Mr. Hudson!

For one think, floyd, you jerk, it seemed a tad bit dark down there, and the lady couldn't swim. What if she got out of the vehicle, got her kid out, and they both got swept away?

Look, floyd, Im gonna do you a favor and explain something to you. If the woman involved wants to make jokes about what happened, now that she and her son and both safe and sound, she can do that. You can't. it's called bad taste.

and speaking of bad taste, good Lord, do those channel 4 people never SHUT UP??? They kept yammering on about how this is what happens when we are naughty and try to drive thru water. Maybe they couldn't get there to help, but maybe they could've tried. I had to stop the video before the end, because if our intrepid on-the-scene reporters at channel 4 had asked that poor woman how she felt, I would have FELT like beating my tv to death. and it was expensive too.

why arent there more thomas hudsons in the world? Especially in my part of the world, maybe where they like the ladies a little, um, more mature??

just kidding. He is truly a hero. And now we know why he had ropes, etc in his truck. What a neat person.

This is Thomas, little brother, David. All I've gotta say is - ladies, he's single! haha!!!

and yeah, he's got great parents.

proud of you, bro.

Tell ya what, folks: This country needs about 300 million more Thomas Hudsons. And I'm guessing little bro, David, doesn't fall far from the tree, either. Kudos to the parents, teachers, and church or whatever other forces have helped mold these guys!

Hi David. Welcome to the blog. Please ignore the idiotic comments made here and show the rest to your brother. He is truly a hero.

single, is he? I'll bet I'm too old for him. that figures. He sounds like just my type of guy, and i named one of my own personal sons Thomas.

Lets hope he marries a lovely young lady, and that you have, too, because the world needs many more people like you. of course we dont know anything about the lady he rescued, but wouldnt it be romantic if they got together???

right now I have the Wonder Dog and his lovely bride Toto out gnawing at the bases of my four big pine trees so that maybe Mr Thomas Hudson will take pity on me when they fall, which at this rate, considering that Toto weighs five pounds, will be quite some time and he might not even care if I'm old enough to be his mother any more.

Congratulations to your parents from all of us here, please do pass those along. The world would be blessed to have more of you Hudson brothers and sisters.

I still think Channel 4 commentators are IDIOTS, which is why I never watch them, but good Lord. Can THEY swim? Probably not, because I doubt their jabbering has an "off" switch. I hope the lady is question sues them. Since I don't get the LR papers, can someone tell me how she and her little boy are doing today? I hope Thomas is doing well too. God bless him. And that is so neat that our blog family went to Mena with him to pay it forward.

And still KARK is NOT reporting that they called 911 or did a damn thing except almost watch this family drown. Thank you, Thomas Hudson and the LRFD.

I'm Thomas Hudson's mom. We have THREE sons, all of whom would have done the same selfless thing that Thomas did. They are all wonderful young men, by the grace of God.

I am thankful that the young mother and her son are well and pray their future is blessed.

Thank you, Thomas, for doing what was courageous and right. You're great!
Love you,
Mom