A deputy in Colorado got her hands dirty, literally and figuratively, when she rescued a neighborhood from the rising water. On Wednesday, July 22, Montrose was under a flash flood warning that weather services said was potentially life threatening. Deputies responded to reports of a large irrigation ditch that was overflowing and banged on doors to alert residents of the flood. That’s when one cop discovered the reason behind the flooding and sprung into action.
Deputy noticed why the water was rising in the first place
At around 5:00 p.m., deputy Joie Shaball noticed that the irrigation ditch was not doing what it was meant to do, according to a July 24 post by the Montrose County Sheriff’s Office on its official Facebook page.
Assessing the situation further, she discovered that the the ditch was blocked by a “large buildup of debris” that was causing the muddy water to rise and reach nearby homes.
Since time was of the essence, the deputy dove into the water and began removing as much of the blockage as she could. As the ditch became unclogged, the water quickly receded and returned to the ditch instead of flooding the yards and the houses in the area.
A picture of Shaball at the scene shows her sitting in a muddy pair of jeans on one of several tires, along with a lot of other debris that she got out of the ditch.
“It was my pleasure to assist all the residents,” Shaball said.
The department lauded the deputy’s “quick thinking, willingness to get a little muddy, and commitment to serving the great people of Montrose County.”
Commenters praised Shaball for going beyond the call of duty and recognized how risky it was for her to head into the muddy water. One wrote, “Keep in mind that it was a dangerous situation because she didn’t know what’s under the water.”
Another wrote, “So happy she has been featured and applauded even though she was not doing that for applause or recognition; she did it because it was the very right thing to do and as a result she saved many homes.”
