Man from Ellicott City Human Chain Video Says He's Not a Hero

ELLICOTT CITY, MD — The man who leapt from a "human chain" to save a woman trapped in her car during Ellicott City's deadly flood denies being a hero, despite what others may say.

"You do what you need to do to help someone," Jason Barnes told CNN.

Barnes, 36, was leaving All Time Toys, the store he bought in June, when he saw a woman floating by in her car and tried to reach her, but was swept down Main Street.

"I thought that was it..." the man who captured it on video, David Dempster, told The Washington Post. "I thought he would be swept away to his death."

But Barnes recovered and tried again. The group of bystanders linked hands to form a "human chain" that helped bring the woman to safety outside Still Life Art Gallery on Main Street, which Dempster co-owns.

"I can't do this!" she yelled before jumping into Barnes' arms.

"I'm not a strong swimmer, so I was really afraid of getting washed down the street," the driver, identified as 29-year-old Jamie Knight, told WUSA 9.

When Knight thanked Barnes later on camera, he said he simply did "the decent thing to do," stating: "It's just Ellicott City being Ellicott City. We all reach out; we all help each other."

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In 10 years working at All Time Toys before buying the store, Barnes said he had repeatedly seen citizens help one another through floods, blizzards and other disasters.

As far as Saturday night's rescue, Barnes told reporters he was "the last link on a very strong chain."

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More than 150 people were rescued from downtown Ellicott City Saturday night, from vehicles and buildings. Two people inside vehicles that were caught in the flood died.

"I want to commend our first responders because we hear many, many stories of the water rescues and people who were trapped," Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman said during a flood recovery meeting Monday.

"But I also want to acknowledge the amazing, amazing heart and determination and heroism that the people of Ellicott City expressed on the night of the flood," he continued. "...the people of Ellicott City not only cared about themselves and other residents—they cared about strangers. They cared about anybody who had faced that terrible, terrible situation. Between the human chain and through hearing about folks at the Rumor Mill...what you have done has been [an] inspiration not only just to Howard County, not only just the United States but to the whole world, so I want to congratulate and thank the people of Ellicott City."

Main Street in Ellicott City on Saturday, July 30. Photo Credit: Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman.