Aldine HS football player pulls woman, toddler from flooded ditch

Steve Campion Image
BySteve Campion KTRK logo
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Aldine HS football player rescues mom, toodler during Imelda
When Jayden Payne saw a family who needed help, he didn't hesitate to jump into the water.

As the remnants of Imelda drenched southeast Texas, an Aldine High School football player jumped in to help rescue people stuck in the flood water.

Jayden Payne joined two other men in saving a woman and her toddler when the car the family was in went into the ditch near the school Thursday afternoon.

"I kicked my slides off and I took my I.D. off, threw my wallet, and I just ran across in front of all the cars. I didn't care that there were cars coming," Payne told Good Morning America.

WATCH: Full interview with Jayden Payne:

When everyone got their phones to record what was going on, Jayden Payne jumped in to help.

It happened around 12:30 p.m. when the high school junior and running back was on the way to lunch with his teammates and offensive coordinator, according to VYPE.

When Payne saw the child, his focus went straight to her.

"She was four years old and I was like, 'She's too young for her life to get taken away right now.' So I was frightened for her. So I just put my life out there for hers," Jayden said.

Read the full story about the rescue from our partners at VYPE.

SEE ALSO: Heroes rescue flood victims from swamped neighborhoods

Couple waits over 7 hours to be saved from Imelda floods

VIDEO: Man carries baby up ladder, out of high water to safety

An ABC13 viewer sent video of a man they call a local hero, offering his ladder to bring people to safety.

Follow Steve Campion on Facebook and Twitter.