Nationwide — George Brathwaite, an African American veteran from Atlanta, Georgia, rescued a woman stranded on top of her car during flash flooding on a downtown Atlanta interstate. He and his wife stepped in after spotting her and carried her through rising floodwaters to safety.
Flash flooding turned sections of downtown Atlanta into fast-moving water, especially along the Downtown Connector near Baker Street. Water quickly rose on Interstate 75/85, turning multiple lanes into dangerous currents and bringing traffic to a halt.
George Brathwaite and his wife, Chyna, said they were not originally supposed to be on that route when they noticed the woman. She was sitting on top of her vehicle, surrounded by water, while other cars moved past.
“We see her just sitting in the middle of the street like that,” Brathwaite told 11Alive. “I had no choice but to pull over.”
Brathwaite then stepped into the rushing water and made his way toward the stranded car. He carried the woman on his back as they moved across the flooded roadway, working to keep her calm. He said he kept talking to her during the walk because she appeared scared and overwhelmed by the situation.
“You cool with getting on my back?” he recalled asking her. “Hey, my name is George. So what’s your name?”
His wife said she urged him to act immediately after seeing the woman in danger. “I told him that if he wouldn’t go get her, I was gonna go get her,” she said.
Brathwaite admitted he hesitated briefly, joking that he first thought about his new shoes before stepping into the water. Once he reached her, he focused fully on getting her to safety.
The woman was later brought inside the couple’s truck, where she stayed until the Georgia State Patrol arrived. She repeatedly thanked them after reaching safety, Chyna said.
The couple, who have lived in Atlanta for eight years, said they had never seen flooding that severe in the city. Brathwaite described the scene as chaotic, with drainage systems struggling under heavy rain.
Brathwaite served in the military from 2009 to 2013 and completed a tour in Iraq. He said helping was an immediate decision once he saw someone in danger.
“Help somebody,” he said. “More people are riding by just looking at them. Help somebody, man. I ain’t do this for clout… You help somebody.”