(17 Oct 2015) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus040414
IMAGINE SCRAMBLING OUT OF THESE CARS IN A DOWNPOUR...
SOUNDBITE (English) Sarah Nuesca, 11-years-old
"The mud, it was to the knees."
THEN HEAR IT FROM 11-YEAR-OLD SARAH NUESCA:
SOUNDBITE (English) Sarah Nuesca, 11-years-old
"It was really scary. Me and my brother both thought we were going to die that night. So we got out of the car when my parents told us to. We all got out on the left side. We took shelter on the top."
HER PARENTS HAD JUST PICKED HER UP FROM SCHOOL WHEN THE RAIN STARTED.
SOUNDBITE (English) Melissa Nuesca, fled car with her family
"Visibility was really bad so we pulled over. Then suddenly we saw mud coming down the hillside. My husband tried to move us out of the way but the car wouldn't move."
ON FRIDAY, THEY RETURNED TO SEE WHAT THEY COULD RETRIEVE FROM THEIR BLUE HONDA HYBRID.
SOUNDBITE (English) Melissa Nuesca, fled car with her family
"It's the blue hybrid up there. ... We got out just in time yesterday."
BUT IT WASN'T MUCH.
SOUNDBITE (English) Melissa Nuesca, fled car with her family
"They had emergency vehicles on that side and that side but no one could get to us so they sent a helicopter. Fortunately, we didn't have to be… (airlifted) As fast as it started, it stopped. And the water rescinded so people helped us get across here."
BUT THE HELICOPTERS WERE THERE FOR OTHER RESIDENTS, WHO ESCAPE TO THE ROOFS OF THEIR CARS AND THEIR HOMES.
SOUNDBITE (English) Capt. Roland Sprewell, Los Angeles Co. Fire Dept.
"We rescued a total of about 14 people yesterday and 8 dogs."
SARAH WAS EAGER TO TELL HER STORY TO REPORTERS THE NEXT DAY. BUT HER 9-YEAR-OLD BROTHER JAMES WASN'T TAKING IT AS WELL.
SOUNDBITE (English) Melissa Nuesca, fled her car with her husband and kids
"Oh, he's very upset. It's very hard for him to talk about. Very hard for him to talk about, 'cause he thought he was going to die. And I told him, 'We're not going to die, baby. We're not going to die. I won't let that happen.'"
AND SHE KEPT HER PROMISE.
Raquel Maria Dillon, THE Associated Press, LAKE HUGHES, CALIFORNIA.
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