Amid the historic storm hitting the province of Buenos Aires, a bus from Empresa Argentina was stranded on National Route 9, at kilometer 115, between Baradero and Zárate. The water had reached critical levels after more than 400 millimeters of rain in just 30 hours, turning the road into an impassable channel.
On board were 44 passengers and a driver, who remained trapped for more than twelve hours until they were rescued in a joint operation that included boats, jet skis, and Volunteer Firefighters personnel.
The bus had departed from Rosario bound for Mar del Plata. Near midnight on Saturday, in complete darkness and under relentless rain, it came to a halt. “The water started rising suddenly. No one warned us about the toll closure. It came in through the doors, and we already had 10 centimeters inside,” the driver, Daniel, recounted in a phone call with TN.
Desperation grew as the hours passed. Without immediate assistance and surrounded by trucks also immobilized by the flood, the passengers began to call for help from their cell phones.
One of them, Matías Baldanza, documented the situation with videos and posts. At 11 a.m. on Sunday, he announced with relief that the firefighters were heading to the location. Near noon, finally, the Baradero Volunteer Firefighters deployed a rescue operation under extraordinary conditions: they used boats and jet skis to evacuate the bus occupants one by one.
“It was impressive to see how they took each passenger out in boats, as if we were in the middle of the Delta. I will never forget it,” Baldanza wrote after being evacuated.
The images he captured show not only the bus under water but also dozens of cars and trucks completely stranded. The asphalt had disappeared under a brown blanket.
The episode occurred while the National Meteorological Service maintained a red alert for storms for the localities of Baradero, Zárate, Campana, San Antonio de Areco, and part of Exaltación de la Cruz, where the rains wreaked havoc on roads, entire neighborhoods, and flooded fields. Authorities urged extreme caution, advising against going out and not to travel through flooded areas.
Fortunately, none of the passengers were injured. All were evaluated after the rescue and taken to safe areas. Meanwhile, authorities continue operations in various parts of the province, where more than 2000 evacuees and numerous total road closures have already been reported.
