‘Incredible’ Rescue of Woman and Pets as Deadly Flooding Hits Valencia

A woman was airlifted by emergency services alongside her pets in whtat was described as an incredible rescue in Valencia, eastern Spain, as torrential rain caused devastating flooding in the community on Tuesday, October 29. Javier Ballesteros, who captured the footage in Utiel, said on national TV that the woman seen in the video “had a dog and cats” and that the situation was “critical” until they managed to get a helicopter to her. “The woman was asking us to call emergency services, but the line was collapsed. Water kept rising and was getting above her waist,” Ballesteros said. “She was holding a dog, but we know she had multiple cats that were possibly in those bags she was carrying.” Local media, citing Valencian Community President Carlos Mazon, reported “multiple fatalities” from the flooding, with Mazon saying it was “impossible to determine an exact number” as of Wednesday morning. The Spanish government set up a crisis committee on Tuesday night “given the serious consequences” of the weather event. Valencian Civil Protection warned citizens not to undertake any road travel on Wednesday as the region was in a state of emergency. Credit: Javier Ballesteros via Storyful