Scenes From Breathtaking Rescues After Hurricane Milton Hits Florida

First responders have been hard at work helping people and animals with Hurricane Milton slamming into Florida as a “major” Category 3 hurricane late on Wednesday.

Jonh Nick

Oct 12, 2024 - 13:08

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Scenes From Breathtaking Rescues After Hurricane Milton Hits Florida

First responders have been hard at work helping people and animals with Hurricane Milton slamming into Florida as a “major” Category 3 hurricane late on Wednesday.

Milton swept through the central part of the state, unleashing heavy rain, tornadoes, and storm surge. At least 10 deaths have been reported — and millions of customers lost power.

All the while, rescue efforts have been underway. Here are just a few, now that the hurricane has passed:

One striking video posted to social media showed what the U.S. Coast Guard said was a helicopter crew saving a man holding onto a cooler about 30 miles off Longboat Key.

Coast Guard District 7, which shared the video, said the man was taken to Tampa General Hospital for medical care.

In a video posted by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday, a boat crew can be seen rescuing a 14-year-old boy clutching onto a fence in floodwaters.

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister told WFLA the boy stayed at a friend’s house after evacuating from the hurricane, and got stuck walking back home when it passed.

“It was literally out of a castaway movie, him laying on top of a fence, waving us,” Chronister said. “Out of breath, gasping for air as we pulled him up.”

Another video from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office showed the rescue of 135 residents from the Great American Assisted Living facility in Tampa.

The Florida Highway Patrol shared a video on Wednesday of troopers saving a dog tied to a pole with water up to its waist along I-75.

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Responding to that post, Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis thanked the Florida Highway Patrol and delivered a warning to anyone who brings harm to pets.

“It is cruel for anyone to leave a dog tied to a post in the middle of an oncoming storm. FL will hold anyone who mistreats pets accountable,” DeSantis said.

With a follow-up post, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shared an update along with a photo appearing to show the dog in good spirits.

“The dog rescued by @FHPTampa is safe and receiving care. Troopers brought him to a vet, where he was examined for injuries and received a clean bill of health,” it said.