Tuesday afternoon turned into a nightmare for the city of Jaén due to a downpour that caused floods and paralyzed the streets. Amidst this situation, Senda de los Huertos street became the scene of a moment of extreme tension when a man was swept away by the flood and managed to cling to a taxi driver's vehicle.
Antonio Ávila was taking shelter in the Senda de los Huertos taxi stand, along with other colleagues, fleeing from a severe hailstorm. He recounts that, while observing the force of the water, he heard a beep and saw a hand appearing next to his car's mirror. "There was a man there; the current was taking him," explained Ávila, still shocked by the surreal scene.
The man, a local resident, managed to grab onto the taxi's rim and bodywork. Ávila lowered the window, stuck half his body out, and with the help of another driver, they managed to pull him onto the sidewalk. Despite the taxi driver's insistence that he take shelter in the vehicle and be taken to a medical center, the man, affected by his tracheotomy and soaked, initially refused. He eventually agreed to be taken to his home.
This rescue coincides with a video that has gone viral on social media, showing the force of the current and the man being swept away. Taxi driver Antonio Ávila responded to criticism directed at the colleague who was filming, clarifying that the situation was unpredictable and instantaneous, and that the priority was the rescue. "If we had realized sooner, we would have opened the door, and if someone had to get wet, they would have. We still have a bit of humanity left," he stated.
Antonio Ávila shies away from the label of hero, stating he was in the "right place at the right time." For him, it was a matter of chance and humanity. Fortunately, the incident caused no personal injuries, and for the rescued neighbor, this Tuesday became the day he "was born again" thanks to the taxi driver's quick reaction.
