An adventurous journey following an all-night work stint in Georgia results in finding oneself submerged waist-deep in a stranger's company in water.
The alerts about potential flooding and tree uprooting caused by Helene had been circulating for hours. However, like many individuals unable to afford missing a day's work due to the storm, Madut decided to drive her vehicle.
She needed to reach home from work.
Simultaneously, on early Friday, a news team had established their base in the city's Buckhead neighborhood, close to Peachtree Creek, to document any destruction caused by Helene.
Madut, unaware of the immense amount of water collected on the road ahead, drove into the city on that very street before dawn.
Her vehicle lost grip soon after.
It began to drift.
She made a call to her spouse, Ernest.
"Attempt to reverse the car, if you can," he suggested. "Just open the window and climb onto the car's roof. See if anyone can spot you."
"Meanwhile," he continued, "I'll dial 911."
Ernest Madut hung up and phoned the emergency services. He later informed CNN about doing so, to alert them to his wife's location.
Then, he called her back.
At that moment, Mrs. Angelina Madut saw onlookers in a vehicle nearby – the journalists, which included former HLN weatherman Bob Van Dillen.
"Can you roll down the window?" Ernest inquired.
However, when she did, the water rushed in. Its impact was recounted later by her husband.
Angelina panicked.
"Wave at them!" he screamed.
Van Dillen recognized her.
He sprang into action.
The experienced journalist plunged into a flood waist-deep and rescued Madut from her white sedan, lifting her onto his back.
Then, with Madut's hands clasped around his chest, Van Dillen commenced his march up Sagamore Drive, Madut hanging off his left side, footage from Fox Weather showed. With each step, her soaked black and white attire surfaced.
"She was cold. I offered her my shirt," Van Dillen later told his colleagues, as shown in the video. "Her husband would come to pick her up, and a fire truck arrived. Everyone's safe."
Post dawn, Madut's vehicle remained submerged in the brown flood, its roof and the highest part of its windows visible.
As far as Madut herself is concerned, Van Dillen played a pivotal role in saving her life.
Subsequently, after her husband arrived, Van Dillen advised him against crossing the overflowed creek, suggesting an alternative route instead.
And for Madut, her savior said, "You're welcome to keep the shirt," referring to the bright red top. "Keep it. It's yours."
Despite the potential danger, Madut believed she could navigate through the flooded streets to reach their home, as she was part of ['us'], a community of hardworking individuals who didn't have the luxury to stay indoors during the storm.
Grateful for Bob Van Dillen's quick action, Madut expressed her gratitude to him later, saying, "We're all in this together ['us'], and he proved that a helping hand from ['us'] can truly make a difference in someone's life."
