Video: N.M. State Police Officer Saves Family after Water Flips Car

A New Mexico State Police officer used a backhoe and ladder to rescue a woman, her child and their dog after they were trapped when rushing water flipped over their vehicle.
Sept. 3, 2025
2 min read

Lapel footage from the Grant County Sheriff's Office — shared by State Police on X — showed Eby scaling up a ladder above a torrent of muddy water to reach the vehicle. Eby placed the child on his back before descending from the ladder to bring the child to safety.

Eby then gave a safety rope to the woman, who used the ladder to crawl down from the vehicle's roof toward the ground. In the video, local residents and other officials can be seen holding the rope while the woman crawled across the ladder.

"We are incredibly proud of the bravery displayed by Officer Eby, our first-responder partners, and the local residents in this increasingly dangerous situation," Richards said in a release. "Their actions allowed them to rescue the trapped occupants and bring them back to safety. This coordinated effort exemplifies the spirit of community and working together for the safety of one another."

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© 2025 the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.).

Visit www.abqjournal.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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