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'Collier County Cowboys' recall dramatic rescue of elderly man from flooded car on 'Fox & Friends'
By Madeline Coggins
Published September 30, 2022
A group of Good Samaritans called the "Collier County Cowboys" saved an elderly man from his vehicle just before it was submerged by floodwaters from Hurricane Ian.
Lemi Gavra and Benny Cociuba joined "Fox & Friends" host Pete Hegseth Friday to detail the dramatic rescue in Bonita Springs.
"He maybe had a few minutes. He was an older gentleman. He couldn't push the door open. It took us about 10 minutes, and we were able to get to him before it was too late," said Gavra.
HURRICANE IAN CONTINUES CRAWL TOWARD CAROLINAS, VIRGINIA: OFFICIALS CONFIRM 10 STORM-RELATED DEATHS
In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Florida communities are looking to rebuild from the Category 4 storm which unleashed a life-threatening storm surge wind.
Gavra and Cociuba were out during the storm, wanting to get a glimpse of Ian's impact on their community.
"We noticed that no one was out there covering it. So we went all the way to the beach and we noticed that the surge and hurricane was picking up quite a bit."
While out, they noticed the elderly man struggling to get out of his vehicle which was caught up in fast-rising floodwaters.
Since officials had warned the community to stay inside, the Cowboys decided to step in.
Joe Dalton, on vacation from Cleveland, Ohio, checks out beached boats at Fort Myers Wharf along the Caloosahatchee River Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, in Fort Myers, Fla., following Hurricane Ian. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)
"We started to make our way back. And that's when we saw this gentleman in distress," Gavra said. "So, everyone's got a guardian angel. I think we were that for him."
The group also saved another man in his home.
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"I don't think anyone thought this hurricane was going to hit like this," Gavra said, explaining that initial forecasts showed the storm tracking further north.
"As you can see from the footage just now coming, it got pretty bad."
https://www.foxnews.com/media/collier-county-cowboys-recall-dramatic-rescue-elderly-man-flooded-car-fox-friends