12.31.2022 | 11:51 PM | TUSTIN – Five people who became trapped in their vehicles on a flooded freeway off ramp were rescued by firefighters amid a rainstorm, late Sunday night.
Crews responded to reports of two vehicles stuck in about 3-feet of water on the northbound SR-55 Freeway off ramp to Irvine Boulevard around 11:51 PM.
When units arrived on scene they discovered four elderly occupants in a white BMW sedan and another woman in a dark-colored sedans completely surrounded by the waist-deep waters.
Firefighters used a boat to rescue three of the people while two others walked to safety in an operation that lasted about 30 minutes and into the new year.
All five were evaluated by medics at the scene and found to be uninjured.
Ambulances transported the helped warm the rescued victims home, according to fire officials.
The same off ramp has flooded in past leaving motorists stranded amid even but it is unclear if CalTrans has performed any work to mitigate the hazardous off ramp.