Several children and a driver were rescued from a school bus stuck in high water Wednesday in Frederick County, Maryland, the sheriff's office said.
First responders were called to a water rescue in the Thurmont area, at Hessong Bridge Road at Blacks Mill Road, authorities said.
All 10 middle and high school students and a driver were removed safely from the bus and the students were taken to Thurmont Elementary School.
Before the rescue, Frederick County Public Schools said everyone appeared to be OK as they waited for crews to figure out a way to get everyone out.
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Parents were notified, the school system said.
The empty bus could be seen tipped over on a road so flooded it resembled a river, News4's Aimee Cho said, just before 5 p.m.
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"We are distraught that that situation occurred and we recognize, you know, how upsetting that was. It was an unexpected event," Frederick County Public Schools Superintendent Terry Alban told News4 on Thursday via a video call.
But some said Alban's explanation was not good enough. School board member Liz Barrett said Alban should step down for not closing schools early.
"Our community deserves to be able to trust when they put their kids on the school bus, that decisions are gonna be made that keep them safe," she said via a video call.
Frederick County was under flash flood and flood warnings throughout the afternoon and evening on Wednesday as remnants of Hurricane Ida drenched the region Wednesday. Roads were flooded and visibility was low as it rained for several hours in the area.
Many roads remained flooded on Thursday.
Remember: If you encounter high water, turn around, don’t drown.
Tornado warnings were also issued earlier for parts of Maryland, including Anne Arundel, Prince George's, Charles, Baltimore and Harford counties.
This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.
