Driver strands self after driving into floodwaters on Fern Hill Road

A motorist drove their vehicle into the flooded roadway before county crews could put the gates up on Fern Hill Road and ended up in need of rescue.

Crews from Forest Grove Fire & Rescue were dispatched at 6:57 a.m. Friday, Dec. 27 to Fern Hill Road near Taylor Way.

"A driver had driven through the recently flooded road and the vehicle had become stuck," Forest Grove Fire & Rescue said.

The driver managed to safely exit the vehicle on their own, but was stranded until, living up to the 'R' in FGF&R, crews waded through the floodwaters and brought the driver back to dry land in a rubber raft.

Area workers told FGF&R the roadway was clear as of 5:15 a.m. Friday morning, but between then and 7 a.m., the Tualatin River, swollen with heavy rainfall and fed by Gales Creek just upstream, had encroached and covered the roadway for the second time this season.

"Once we arrived, we advised Washington County, Oregon LUT that the road was flooded," FGF&R said. Traffic cameras placed in the area showed county crews were on scene and had closed the installed flood gates at 8:23 a.m.

Fern Hill Road is now closed between Taylor Way and Geiger Road.

"The driver was thankfully not injured. Please remember that if you encounter flooded roadways, turn around, don’t drown," FGF&R said.

Also assisting on scene were the Forest Grove Police Department and Washington County Sheriff's Office deputies out of Cornelius.