PORTLAND, Tenn. (WKRN) — Authorities in Portland sprang into action over the weekend after a woman drove her minivan into high water.
The incident took place during the height of severe weather on Sunday, Feb. 16, which is when police said a woman drove right past high water signs in the 700 block of North Russell Street.
According to the Portland Police Department, the woman —identified as 36-year-old Tiffany Besco— had to exit her sinking vehicle and climb on the roof to call for help.
Bodycam video obtained by News 2 shows three Portland officers walk Besco back to safety.
“Yea, she was trapped. Unless she was going to swim to safety, she was going to have to wait for help,” said Portland Police Chief Jason Arnold.
Arnold said there were multiple “road closed” signs in the area that were posted at both ends of the flooded zone.
“EMA was running all over the country with issues involving the weather and it would be a while to get a boat out there to us, and with temps droppings, and it snowed that night too, so officers made the decision to swim out there to get her,” recalled Arnold
After being seen by medical personnel, investigators determined that Besco was intoxicated, which led her to get arrested for DUI.
“Did she just run through it and drive into that water?” asked News 2’s Andy Cordan.
“That’s what it looks like, and it turns out she was intoxicated and went through the barriers, into the water and got stuck there,” replied Arnold.
Arnold added that he hasn’t spoken with the officers involved in Sunday’s rescue, but said they should expect to get commendations in the future.
“They dropped all their gear and swam out to her. I know one of the officers is a Marine and water means nothing to him. He swam out there, they got soaked,” said Arnold. “I have not talked to them, but they will be getting commendations, that was something else. That’s what I like to see. I never suggest going into water like that, but they just did what they had to do.”
Richard Payne, whose driveway sits right where the road was shut down, said he woke up to the commotion.
“When I woke up, all I saw was flashing lights and sirens and I said, ‘What in the world,'” Payne told News 2. “I look up and see a van over there in the water, pretty much 3 feet from the top of the hood, and I thought either someone died or just got rescued, and luckily they got out.”
After checking Sumner County’s jail records, News 2 learned that Besco was released from jail on a $10,000 bond. She is expected to appear in court on March 4.
Records also revealed that Sunday’s arrest marks the 36-year-old’s second DUI charge. She was reportedly arrested for DUI in August 2021 and was caught driving on a suspended license in 2018.
