Emergency crews rescue man from flooded creek in Philadelphia after flash floods hit city

Man rescued from flooded creek in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA — Heavy rains have caused flash flooding in parts of Philadelphia, leading to the dramatic rescue of a man from a creek and a number of motorists stranded in swamped cars.

Authorities say they got a call about a motorist in distress in the Pennypack Creek in the city’s Holmesburg section on Tuesday morning.

When crews arrived, they found a man trapped next to the pillar of a rail bridge that crosses the creek. They secured a harness around him and pulled him up to the top of the bridge.

Flash flooding in parts of Philadelphia and neighboring counties also led rescue crews to use boats — and in one case a raft — to rescue stranded motorists from their cars. The morning rains also caused a two-hour traffic snarl on eastbound Interstate 76.