TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Florida Highway Patrol vehicle was pulled out of the floodwaters in hard-hit Hardee County after Hurricane Ian collapsed a bridge and washed it away.
With help from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocala Police Department was able to recover the vehicle over the weekend.
They said the trooper, who they did not identify, was in the vehicle when the road washed out and the car plunged into the water.
“The trooper was able to escape through the window and swim to a tree and radio for help. Thankfully, the trooper was unharmed,” police said on Facebook.
Search and rescue efforts have continued in the county following Hurricane Ian. Nearly 40% of the area remains without power as of this writing Monday morning, according to the Peace River Electric Cooperative Inc.’s outage map.
