Dec 24, 2008 7:59 am US/Eastern
Massive Water Main Break Traps Morning Drivers
BETHESDA, Md. (WJZ/AP) ―
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Rescuers scrambled helicopters and boats to pull commuters from frigid floodwaters unleashed by a massive water main break Tuesday in Bethesda.
CBS
Gov. Martin O'Malley and Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett plan to tour the scene of a massive water main break that trapped nine motorists on a Bethesda road Tuesday.
O'Malley and Leggett will join Transportation Secretary John Porcari and State Highway officials Wednesday morning for a tour of the area along River Road in Bethesda.
Gigi Barnett reports the 66-inch break happened around 8 a.m. on River Road near Fenway Drive. The break occurred near the Congressional Country Club.
Hebert De Rienzo was driving his fiancee to work on Tuesday when he noticed fallen leaves beginning to swirl.
Then he saw the mud and rocks. Suddenly a wave of water barreled down the street, pushing cars sideways and drenching his small hatchback.
De Rienzo tried to turn around, but there wasn't enough time. His car began filling with ice-cold water and started rocking.
"We couldn't open the windows because the water would come through," he said. "We were scared."
Nine people were rescued -- some by helicopter and boat -- after a massive water main ruptured, sending a torrent of water down River Road, flooding the street with 4 feet of water.
De Rienzo said the couple called 911 and rescuers arrived after 20 minutes. Firefighters eventually pulled them out of the back of their car. They were alive, but their Christmas purchases were ruined.
Two people in a minivan climbed into a basket lowered by a helicopter. Floodwaters raged past them, spraying water as a rescuer reached out from the basket to save them.
In a frantic 911 call released by authorities, an unidentified motorist cried and pleaded for help.
"I can't see anything," the woman screamed. "I need help!"
"Stay calm, ma'am. We're coming," the operator says.
It was not immediately clear what caused the 5 1/2-feet wide pipe to burst. Temperature, age and other factors can contribute to water main breaks.
Montgomery County fire officials said five people were checked for hypothermia; temperatures outside were in the 20s.
"The water tumbled over the car like a wave," said Silvia Saldana, of Springfield, Va., who was traveling to work when she became trapped. "I started to pray."
Fire spokesman Pete Piringer said the swift-moving water made rescues difficult. Rocks, mud and pieces of trees spilled into the road.
Piringer said some trees fell onto a power line and knocked down a utility pole. Schools in the county closed early because of water outages. A hospital diverted ambulances and closed its trauma division because of lost water pressure.
A man who lives about 50 feet from the street described the unexpected flood.
"I thought it might be a minor leak, then suddenly I stepped outside and, 'My God!"' said Raj Bhansaly. "It looked literally like the Potomac River."
Firefighter Anthony Bell was in a fire truck when he saw brown water and realized something wasn't right.
"We were wondering if we could make the rescue," he said.
Bell and the other firefighters raced through the raging water and pulled four people from three cars.
"I've been here 20 years," he said, "and I've never seen anything like this."
Kevin Kraft, 38, of Knoxville, Md., helped with the rescue. He was driving when water began spraying on his windshield. He parked his truck at an intersection, blocking other cars from entering the road.
"I was very nervous and frightened," he said. The water "probably rose 5-feet deep within seconds, and it was like a raging river."
Kraft shouted at drivers to stay in their cars and reassured them help was on the way.
John White, a Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission spokesman, said it was not yet clear what caused the break.
Because of the gushing water's intensity, fire officials did not allow utility workers to immediately shut down valves where the break occurred, White said. But crews were able to shut down valves farther down the pipeline, stopping the flow. Authorities said the water went into a nearby creek.
The commission said water pressure was being restored to hundreds of customers who lost service, including the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration, which are located in the area.
There have been several major water main breaks this year in the wealthy suburb of Montgomery County. In June, a rupture closed more than 800 restaurants and left tens of thousands of people scrambling for clean drinking water.
White said the pipe that broke Tuesday was installed in 1964.
The American Water Works Association, a Denver-based nonprofit that works to improve water quality, says billions of dollars are needed to replace aging pipes nationwide within coming decades.
Spokesman Greg Kail said while there may be various reasons a main might break, old pipes continue to be a major factor. Some pipes date back 50 to 100 years old, he said.
"We are seeing a higher rate of breaks nationwide," he said. "We expect that rate to increase in the next 10 to 20 years."
If you have any questions about your water, call 240-777-4200.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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