San Marcos Homeless couple says rescue crews saved their life from flooded Blanco river

Keep me motivated by donating to https://paypal.me/thisisbutter

Viewer discretion is always advised when watching this video or any others videos. I do not take any responsibility for your trauma, psychological and/or mental harm.

I do not recommend anyone to attempt, act/reproduce, and/or create hate from what you see in this video or any other videos.

Enjoy.
--------------------
Hays County first responders and STAR Flight responded to evacuations in the San Marcos area Thursday morning near the Highway 80 bridge over Blanco River.

The San Marcos Police Department posted on its Facebook page around 8:30 a.m. that the Highway 80 bridge would be closed while police officers and STAR Flight helped evacuate residents.

Hays County Emergency Services later confirmed to CBS Austin a group of transients camping near the Blanco River was rescued by a Travis County STAR Flight helicopter this morning. Their camp became surrounded by water after last night's heavy rains.

“I’m so tired of being out here,” said Frank Foell sitting on a shopping cart covered in debris from the Blanco River that finally receded after severe storms overnight.

Foell and his Wife Devi Blackard were two of the people who live along the banks of the Blanco River in San Marcos who needed to be rescued from the flooded river.

The two say they’ve been homeless for, on and off, for two decades.

Foell, a certified welder by trade, said the pandemic kept him from finding work over the past months. He said his foot is still recovering from stepping on a piece of glass that required surgery, and his string of bad luck continued after his new debit card and ID were washed away by the rising river early Thursday morning.

While the two were in their tent not far from under the Highway 80 bridge along the Blanco River, Foell says he heard a noise get louder and louder. Moments later, Foell said a “wall of water” started to barrel toward his way.

“I just yelled at Devi, I said, ‘grab the puppy,’” he said

For the next several hours, the two tried to stay on higher ground but their sand bar started to shrink as the river continued to swell.

“The bugs and the snakes, they were trying to compete for the same little area,” he said.

Blackard stayed on the phone with 911. She said despite losing connection a few times, they stayed on the phone for hours until she and several others, including her two dogs, were rescued by boat.

“I appreciate your patience and kindness,” said Blackard with tears in her eyes about 911 dispatch and the rescue crews.

Foell told the rescue crews about his injured foot. To avoid any potential infection in the river water, Travis County Starflight airlifted him onto the highway 80 bridge over the Blanco River.

Body camera footage shows the moment he’s harnessed in and lifted down on the road.

Foell said he’s never been in a helicopter before. On Thursday, his first chopper ride saved his life.

“It really didn’t hit me that at least a few of us should have died until I sat down on the road over there. Then it hit me like a title wave, and I started to get emotional,” he said.

San Marcos Police and Fire and Hays County’s Office of Emergency Management assisted with the rescue. Travis County STAR flight lifted Foell to safety.

“You didn’t have to save us, you didn’t,” said Blackard.

“They didn’t care we were homeless, they were just there to save us,” said Foell.