VIA bus passengers, 13-year-old rescued from flood waters

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) – San Antonio firefighters responded to more than 30 high water rescue calls during the overnight storms, including passengers trapped in a VIA bus.

The water was four feet high when the VIA bus stalled on Dreamland near Vance Jackson just before 10 Thursday night.

Joe Arrington with the San Antonio Fire Department told KTSA News it was a “long,  drawn-out rescue effort.”

“The bus was stable where it was, but we were unable to put a boat in the water because of all of the trees and terrain in that area,” said Arrington.

Firefighters extended a ladder to rescue 8 people.

“They had to be rescued through a hatch on the roof,” said Arrington.

A tow truck was called early this morning, but a driver was able to get the bus out of the water on his own.

About the same time, a 13-year-old  got swept into the rushing flood waters off of Ivory  Creek.  That’s a North Side neighborhood near Loop 1604 at Shavano Ranch.

“We received a 9-1-1 call from an individual who said he got swept into a creek and  was stuck in a tree,” Arrington told KTSA  News.

The call dropped, but the dispatcher was able to contact him.

“He told us where he was.  He  had gone over the fence to look at the water when he got swept into the creek,” Arrington said.

Firefighters put a boat in the water and got the teen to dry land.