Florida Excavator Operator Goes Viral for Helping Neighbors During Historic Flooding
Fred Rogers shared the phrase, “Look for the helpers,” as advice for dealing with disasters and emergencies. He said the advice was given to him by his mother, and she shared it with him as a child when he was frightened by scary things happening in the world.
That phrase has since become popular online, and it’s something that many people suggest when folks start to feel overwhelmed by what’s going on in the world around them. Now, it sounds like people in Brevard County, Florida, aren’t having any trouble finding the helpers.
According to Fox35, almost 25 inches of rain fell in the region this week, causing massive flood damage to the area. While the slow-moving weather system wreaked havoc, social media is full of images and videos of those who jumped in to help.
Among them was a man in an excavator who worked through the night trying to divert water away from nearby homes. Aerial footage was captured of the incident, as one man sat inside the piece of heavy machinery, working against the elements.
The video and others just like it have gone viral in the aftermath of the flood as the region starts to learn just how much damage was done by the recent storms.
An Excavator Fought Back Against Floodwaters
Planet Excavation shared the clip on its Facebook page. “Working hard into the night to try and divert water away from people’s houses,” the caption said. “Can’t thank everyone enough for the support as we try to mitigate these unfortunate circumstances.”
In the comments, the company shared another video taken from inside the excavator. The footage shows the dramatic conditions the man was working in as he tried to clear debris from the water and build a barrier to prevent any additional damage.
People Praised the Excavator Operator’s Efforts
The comments made it clear what people thought of the man operating the machine. Several people took the opportunity to commend the man’s commitment to helping his community. “Gotta have a pair of brass ones to sit there doing that,” one person wrote.
“The removal of the log jams proved incredibly key to saving flooding from occurring in many subdivisions,” another person wrote. “These brave operators were so important.”
“Thank you for all your hard work and long hours to help our community stay safe,” yet another person wrote. “Greatly appreciated.”
While the video of the excavator received a lot of attention due to the scope of the emergency, other photos also circulated on social media after the flooding, including one of a Florida Fish and Wildlife employee helping to rescue an infant from a flooded home.
Of course, more information is likely to come out about the heroic response from first responders in the coming days as the people in the region start to clean up from the devastating floods.
