MAITLAND, Fla. – At least one person was rescued by a good Samaritan while two vehicles were stuck in floods as rain soaked the Orlando area.
Water continued rising on South Orlando Avenue in Maitland Sunday afternoon as rain fell until an SUV and at least one other vehicle were unable to drive, witnesses told News 6 at the scene.
Witnesses said a woman inside one of the vehicles was pulled to safety by a man who noticed she was stuck.
"I drive by and pull up and I went in and said, 'Come on, We’ve got to go,' and I pulled her out and went," said John Hannigan.
At least one other person was rescued from one of the vehicles, Maitland fire crews said. Another victim got out safely on her own.
Officials said the occupants were not injured.
Hannigan said his wrong turn Sunday with his family placed him in the right place at the right time.
"The crazy thing is, I was supposed to get off at Colonial (Drive) coming from Disney and I missed the exit, so I got off at Maitland (Boulevard)," Hannigan said. "She was like, 'What do I do?' I just said, 'Come on. Roll down your windows, get your bags, get your insurance, and I pulled her out and we left."
Multiple road closures were in effect and traffic was being diverted as the heavy rain continued.
U.S. 17-92 was closed at Monroe Avenue and southbound 17-92 traffic was being diverted onto Park Avenue. U.S. 17-92 was also closed at Solana Avenue to drivers coming from Lee Road. The roads in the area have since reopened.
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Florida Department of Transportation officials said the city of Maitland has a drainage improvement project in place. Two pumps have been installed to help drain water in the area, but one of the pumps malfunctioned, causing Sunday’s flooding. It’s the same issue that caused flooding along the same stretch of road about two weeks ago.
Stay with News 6 and ClickOrlando.com for updates on this developing story.