ATLANTA – FOX weather meteorologist Bob Van Dillen was in the middle of a harrowing rescue mission during Hurricane Helene.

Conditions deteriorated rapidly around Atlanta in the early hours of the morning, with millions of people at risk of life-threatening flooding. The city was placed under a flash flood emergency for the first time Friday morning as Atlanta experienced its wettest three-day period in 104 years.

While covering the storm’s aftermath, Van Dillen, a local journalist, heard a woman’s desperate cries for help at Peach Tree Creek. She had driven into floodwaters and was trapped in her car before sunrise.

“I just put the microphone down and called 911,” he said. “I know these guys are crowded, so we waited about five minutes. She panicked a little more because the water was rising a little higher.”

Helene continues its deadly attack across the Southeast, triggering the first flooding in Atlanta

FOX weather meteorologist Bob Van Dillen was in the middle of a harrowing rescue mission during Hurricane Helene.

(FOX Weather)

Without hesitation, Van Dillen, a towering 6-foot man, waded into the chest-deep water, battling strong currents to reach the woman. He pulled her to safety and carried her through the floodwaters to a nearby dry area.

“The water is about 30 degrees. It’s not cold, but I’m freezing right now,” Van Dillen said. “She was sitting there alone, strapped in her car. So I know she was cold.”

Despite the dangers that surrounded her in the water, Van Dillen remained calm and focused on rescuing the woman. As he pulled them to safety, he spoke live on camera to his FOX Weather colleagues after documenting the rescue operation.

Although his selfless bravery did not go unnoticed, he remained humble and insisted that anyone in his position would have done the same.

“Her husband picked her up and she is OK,” Van Dillen said. “But the story now isn’t about me, it’s about how much flooding we saw. I mean…amazing amounts that have come in.”

Van Dillen notes that Peachtree Creek has reached the third highest recorded value. Earlier in the morning, flood rescues took place about a mile upriver from the site of his rescue efforts, pulling dozens of people from an apartment complex. The same water now flows through Peach Tree Creek and approaches the Northside Drive bridge.

ATLANTA experiences its first flash flood as Helene’s anger forces multiple water rescues

Helene’s death toll in the state continues to rise.

In Colquitt County, Georgia, one person tragically died when their vehicle collided with a fallen tree. Widespread damage was reported in the area and emergency management officials are working to assess the extent of the destruction, FOX 5 reports.

Additionally, at least two additional deaths have been confirmed in Wheeler County, Georgia. In one of the many accidents, a mobile home was damaged Tornado warnings associated with the storm, resulting in loss of life.

The heavy rain over Atlanta has mostly subsided, but the band of rain that spun over the city now appears to be dissipating.