Chaverim of Rockland is being credited with saving more than 20 people from 5 separate families who became trapped in rising floodwaters while traveling near Monsey during a torrential downpour.
The dramatic scene unfolded on Sunday afternoon, when Chaverim was called in by Rockland EMS for assistance with hikers, some of them injured, who had become trapped on Bear Mountain. As its members were en route to assist with rescuing them, Chaverim began receiving frantic calls from numerous people begging for assistance on Seven Lakes Drive, which was completely flooded.
Terrified callers from five separate families described how their vehicles were already submerged and had to be abandoned, and how floodwaters were quickly rising around them, threatening to r”l wash them away.
Chaverim immediately diverted several of its members heading to Bear Mountain to the scene and deployed additional units to rescue the stranded individuals, who included multiple young children among them.
Various other agencies, including Rockland Hatzolah, Kiryas Yoel Hatzolah and Chaveirim also responded to the area, but the waters were too deep to traverse, setting up a life-threatening crisis that seemed impossible to resolve.
But in a stroke of sheer hashgacha, Rockland Chaverim had recently taken delivery of Rescue 1 – a new, highly specialized vehicle donated by three local businesses, specially modified for high-water rescues. Within minutes, the rescue truck was at the scene, with Chaveirim members plowing through the deep waters and plucking up the wet, terrified, and extremely grateful people one by one.
