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After being sucked into a storm drain in his yard in Trussville, Ala., Drew Owen was dragged through 500 toes of pipe, according to reports
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“I honestly was saying my goodbyes,” Owen admitted to native media outlet WVTM 13, revealing that he wasn’t sure if he would survive the terrifying ordeal
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After making it through with only “cuts and scrapes,” he’s utilizing the expertise to advocate for change in his neighborhood and beyond
An Alabama man went through a terrifying ordeal after he was sucked into a storm drain and dragged through 500 toes of pipe.
On Friday, June 27, Drew Owen was chasing after his children’ soccer balls as his yard flooded due to a storm in Trussville, Ala., according to WVTM 13, WRBC and ABC 33/40. Tragedy struck when the dad of three unintentionally got too close to the storm drain pipe in his yard while amassing one of the balls.
“Of course, I could not see anything; it was dark, and this was nothing but water. But the ball was somewhere in this area. So, I went to step to go get it, and when I did, this ditch is steep and I stumbled into the water,” he advised WRBC.
Suddenly, he was dragged into the pipe and turned an unwilling passenger on a journey through the drainage system.
“I got sucked down the drain pipe. I’m 6’2″, 235 lbs and it sucked me up like a twig,” he told ABC 33/40.
Although he told the outlets he was likely only underwater for between 30 and 45 seconds, he said that it felt like the journey took minutes.
“The water was flowing so arduous, and that complete pipe was nothing but water,” he told WVTM 13. “So I could not breathe or anything. And I did not have time to get, like, gasp for air when it occurred, because it occurred so fast.”
By the time he was finally able to escape, he’d travelled an estimated 500 feet, which took him under the nearby Highway 11. ABC 33/40 reported that he used a tree branch to pull himself to safety.
Owen credited his recently deceased dad as his “guardian angel,” telling ABC 33/40 that he was looking over him. The incident took place the day before his father’s funeral.
“Honestly, all I could think about is not seeing my spouse and children anymore,” he told the outlet, adding to WVTM 13 that he was “just praying that it was going to drop at some level soon.”
“I honestly was saying my goodbyes,” he admitted.
Campwillowlake/Getty
Stock image of a storm drainage pipe
After surviving with only “cuts and scrapes” and some other minor injuries, Owen and his wife Kasey Owen are advocating for safety measures to be installed to prevent a similar event in the future.
“My greatest factor I need to make people conscious of is to always be cautious with water that’s flowing actual arduous. I have three younger children, and if they had went to go get the soccer balls instead of me, they in all probability would have drowned,” he said.
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Trussville’s Mayor Buddy Choat surveyed the area, according to WVTM 13. While the system was installed by the state, he said that his team was looking into ways to increase safety measures.
Kacey also recognizes how lucky the family was that day, telling ABC 33/40, “Honestly it’s not lost on us that Drew is a miracle. Most people do not stay to inform these tales, most of the time you hear about them when it’s too late. We’re just so grateful I have my husband and my children have their dad.”
PEOPLE reached out to the Trussville mayor’s office and the Department of Public Words for comment on the incident, but did not hear back at the time of publication.
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