In a gripping live television scenario this morning, a cameraman for Channel 7 set down his equipment to assist a family through floodwaters that were rising.
Glen Ellis was shooting Seven US journalist Tim Lester’s journey from Naples, Florida, where “life-threatening” category-4 Hurricane Ian is wreaking havoc, to the Sunrise studio this morning when the unexpected occurrence occurred.
After only a few minutes of the cross, Ellis noticed several families behind the reporter fighting to flee through high floodwaters and heaved his camera to the ground.
Lester said, “Keep going,” as he could be seen sprinting in their direction.
As Ellis ran off, a stunned Kochie asked: “Ooh, are you OK?”
Lester confirmed the crew was fine, adding that it was an “enormous storm”.
“We’re just helping some people through the water here. That is our camera operator, Glen, out there. I think you can see he is trying to help people who are moving away from their homes,” Lester said.
“We’ve spoken to a couple of them and they tell us that already that their houses have been lost in the water. They have flooded right through and they have had to abandon them.
“They just have no other way of doing it. But they are trying to get out and obviously what we have here, is a relatively high ground, so we are lucky enough to be able to talk to you.”
The cameraman could be seen in the background moving objects and assisting people to safety as Lester continued to describe the rapidly deteriorating scenario.
After a short while, another person grabbed up the camera, and they carried on filming while Ellis made numerous journeys back and forth across the water.
Early this morning, the massive hurricane made landfall in the United States, prompting predictions that it might have a “catastrophic impact” as it ploughs across Florida’s populous areas.
The storm’s eye is apparently up to five times bigger than previous fatal storms, and it is carrying with it winds of about 250 km/h and waves that are five metres high.
According to US National Weather Service director Ken Graham, it will likely affect millions of Floridians and will be a “historic occurrence.”
