CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Michael Epoilipiy has worked for the City of Charleston street crew for less than a year but he’ll likely remember what happened Sunday night for the rest of his life.
Epoilipiy was off Sunday but was called into work to help check some of the city’s larger storm drains to make sure that were clear of obstructions after heavy rain earlier in the day and the possibility of more heavy rain coming.
Another round of heavy rain came a few hours later.
Epoilipiy and a co-worker were driving up Garrison Avenue and noticed water from Magazine Branch was already in the road. Another co-worker operating a piece of heavy equipment was trying to get turned around. Epoilipiy began to turn around the city dump truck he was driving when he noticed a car behind him.
The water, already up to the doors of Epoilipiy’s city truck, began to move the car and the woman in it. He jumped out and headed toward the car as it started floating through a yard and around a house.
Epoilipiy made it to the car.
“I got her out, got to the front side of the car to try and block some of the current,” he said Wednesday on MetroNews Midday. “We tried to catch our breath. We tried to move and get out of there.”
Epoilipiy said it was all action and reaction.
“There was really no thought to it.” he said.
He then got the woman behind a tree, another attempt to break the current. They then were able to make it to a porch.
A few minutes later the water began to go down.
Epoilipiy said the woman, who he had never met before, was worried about her mother who lives on Garrison Avenue and her son. He said they were able to use a neighbor’s phone to contact them.
Epoilipiy had left his own phone in the city truck intentionally. He said he didn’t want to ruin it in the water. His co-workers and supervisors couldn’t locate him and that caused concern about his safety.
Among those concerned was Charleston Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin. She was at the garage to greet Epoilipiy after he had been checked out by EMS. She gave him a big hug and shook him.
“She was worried. Everybody was worried,” he said. “It is what it is. I did what I did. I didn’t think anything about it. It was all action and reaction.”
Epoilipiy did admit to MetroNews Midday Co-Host Amanda Barren he was scared.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been that scared in my life,” he said.
Epoilipiy went back to work after the rescue. He pulled a 24-hour shift and didn’t get off work until 6:30 p.m. Monday because of the flood.
He said he was a little sore from everything the next day but very thankful the woman was okay.
“There was no thought other than, ‘How can I help?'”