SIESTA KEY, Fla. — Sarasota Police Department officers were able to rescue an elderly couple trapped in their Siesta Key home in the hours after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida.
According to a Facebook post by the department, the couple was "rapidly" losing oxygen during the early morning hours of Sept. 27 at their home on Anglin Drive. The couple's granddaughter called 911 after she reportedly became worried for her grandparents' safety.
The granddaughter told officers the structure of the couple's home was compromised by the storm, leaving them stranded on the second floor. The department's emergency response team got to the house with a high-water rescue vehicle around 3:42 a.m.
Bodycam video from the department shows officers talking with the couple and learning that the grandfather was out of oxygen.
"You can't stay here. There's no power," an officer told him. "You're not going to make it through the day."
The team then used a dining room chair to help the grandmother down the stairs, as officers said she had limited mobility. In the video, four team members can be seen lifting the elderly woman up before slowly taking her down two flights of stairs.
"Just stay still. We got you, okay?" Officers reassured the woman. "Just relax and don't panic."
The couple was then safely escorted across a bridge in a police car before meeting with Sarasota Emergency Services, officers said. They were then reportedly taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital and reunited with their family.
Hurricane Helene is being blamed for at least 182 deaths and billions of dollars in destruction across the Southeast U.S.
More resources are available for those affected by the storm, including help with medical care, food and other needs.
For more information on resources for cleanup, rebuilding, food, shelter and more, click here.