Police Bodycam Shows Children Among 15 People Being Rescued After Tree Falls on Home During Hurricane Milton

Mar. 15, 2025

Florida police released bodycam footage that showed more than a dozen people, among them children, being rescued from a residence after a tree fell on it asHurricane Miltonmade landfall in the state on Wednesday, Oct. 9.

The city said that Tampa Police Department officers were sheltering less than 2 miles away when they were alerted about the tree fall and arrived at the residence during a break in the storm bands.

Police idle near where a crane sits on the street after crashing down on Oct. 10, 2024 in St. Petersburg, Fla.Spencer Platt/Getty

Spencer Platt/Getty

The bodycam footage, recorded on the evening of Oct. 9 and shared onYouTube, showed Tampa police officers entering the residence and helping the occupants, including children, evacuate amid the heavy rain.

In the clip, one of the officers could be heard saying to a child who was getting into a patrol vehicle: “It’s okay bubba. It’s okay. You’re okay.”

Still image from footage of Tampa Police evacuating residents during Hurricane Milton.TampaPD/Youtube

TampaPD/Youtube

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The city’s news release added that the officers were able to get all of the home’s occupants to safety, stating:  “They were transported to the closest shelter. One officer took the time to ensure the main power to the home was turned off before leaving.”

The City of Tampa has also urged residents to “remain indoors until it is deemed safe to go outside later in the day” in a separatereleaseas the situation continues to be assessed following Milton’s arrival.

Milton, which followed the recentHurricane Helene, made landfall as a Category 3 storm on the western coast of Florida on Oct. 9 after it passed through the Gulf of Mexico. The National Hurricane Center forecasts that the hurricane will bring “life-threatening” hazards to the western coast up and down central and southern Florida, including the Tampa Bay area.

According toPoweroutage.us, which monitors power outage activity, there are currently 3.4 million Florida customers without electricity.

source: people.com