“I didn’t think twice:” Oklahoma police sergeant rescues woman from flooded car
By Jonathan McCall
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BOSSIER CITY, Louisiana (KTBS) — An Oklahoma police sergeant visiting northwest Louisiana is being credited with rescuing a woman trapped inside a vehicle during Monday’s severe flooding in Bossier City.
Sgt. Joe Williams of the Lexington Police Department in Oklahoma was in Bossier City with his family when heavy rain caused flash flooding across the area, leaving roads impassable and several vehicles stranded in rising water.
Williams said he and his family had just finished lunch and were returning to their hotel when they came across a vehicle partially submerged beneath the Traffic Street underpass.
“Everybody’s just turning around, and turning around and didn’t stop,” Williams said.
As the floodwaters continued to rise, Williams spotted a woman trapped inside the vehicle. He said he immediately got out of his own vehicle and entered the water, despite conditions that he described as dangerous.
“I didn’t think twice,” Williams said. “Was it crazy for me to do? Yeah. The water was up to my neck.”
Williams said he found the driver panicked as water filled the vehicle.
“I found a young female in the car, frantic, screaming,” he said. “Water was in the car halfway up her waist in her seat. I knew I had to get her up out of that car to higher ground, some shape, some form.”
Using his law enforcement training, Williams helped guide the woman to safety with assistance from a Bossier City police officer.
His wife captured the rescue on her cell phone as widespread flooding impacted the region. Some areas received several inches of rain in a short period, causing streets to flood and leaving numerous motorists stranded.
Williams said a personal philosophy of serving others guided his decision to help.
“God has given me a life to serve other people, no matter where I’m at,” he said. “You can be a beam of light in someone’s chaos to flip their day 180 degrees.”
The father of five said that outlook has also helped his family navigate challenges involving his 10-month-old son, Greyson, who is receiving treatment at Shriners Children’s Hospital in Shreveport for Möbius syndrome, a rare congenital neurological disorder.
Despite being hailed as a hero, Williams said he remains focused on the woman he rescued.
“I wish I would’ve gotten her name to check to see how she’s doing,” he said.
Williams and his family were in Louisiana for his son’s medical treatment when the rescue occurred. No injuries were reported.
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