A Eureka woman is counting her blessings after she had to hold on to a tree to avoid being swept downstream by floodwaters.
Tammy Cherivitz was driving to the airport at 6:30 a.m. when she lost control of her car while driving through floodwaters. She said it was dark and she didn’t realize how high the water was until it was too late.
She was stranded alone on a rural road with no cell service. She called OnStar for help. Before firefighters arrived, she was forced to escape her SUV through a window.
She desperately waded across floodwaters and grabbed a tree for dear life. She said she was holding that tree for roughly 40 minutes.
When Eureka firefighters arrived, the tide was too strong and they were unable to reach her. Luckily a neighbor with an off-road vehicle used a winch to save the Chervitz.
“Getting out of my car and walking to it, trying to get to a tree or something to hang onto was frightening,” she said. “ I didn’t know if I was going to make it. For one, I didn’t see anybody. I felt like I was there by myself and I didn’t know if anyone was going to be able to get to me. I was really scared.”
Chervittz was shaken up but ok. She said she will be more cautious of her surroundings when driving in severe weather in the dark.