Randy Polly was driving to get gas Thursday morning when he encountered floodwaters that left him stranded in a dry patch of land in Whitesburg, Kentucky.
Hours later, he saw from afar a man rescuing an elderly woman and others who were trapped in a house as the water continued to rise.
Polly told CNN he could hear people shouting from across the flooded road, “Help me, help me.” Polly called 911, but emergency services were overwhelmed and unresponsive to her calls, he said.
At around 9 a.m. he saw someone he described as a “hero” swim up to the house and start knocking on the door and window.
A series of dramatic videos taken by Polly and shared with CNN show the rescue. Polly said it took around 30 minutes from start to finish as the man entered the house through the window and helped each of the three family members leave safely.
Missy Crovetti, who is based in Green Oaks, Ill., told CNN the rescued family consisted of her grandmother Mae Amburgey, her uncle Larry Amburgey and her brother Gregory Amburgey. They are safe and doing well, she said.
Crovetti’s brother shared photos that captured the flooding inside the house as the three waited to be rescued. In one of the photos, you can see Mae, 98, sitting on her bed, which is almost submerged in water.
Crovetti said she doesn’t know the name of the man who saved her family. Polly also said he did not know the man’s name.