On Friday, heavy rain wreaked havoc across parts of Moselle, causing significant flooding that persisted through the weekend. In the midst of this chaos, a 25-year-old farmer from Metzervisse, named Nicolas, became a ‘wheel’ local hero in the storm. With the roads impassable and buses unable to run, he took it upon himself to evacuate 350 students from a local school using his tractor. A video capturing his valiant efforts is making the rounds on social media.
Nicolas initially went to pick up a friend’s child from school but soon realised many other students were stranded. “I saw mothers crying and knew I had to do something,” he shared with Lorraine Actu. “I fetched my cattle truck, loaded some students, and started making trips back and forth to the road blocked by the gendarmes. Later, another farmer joined in to help.”
With water levels rising to 1.20 metres, Nicolas carefully navigated his tractor through the floodwaters, making multiple slow trips to ensure everyone’s safety. This impromptu rescue operation was something even the firefighters couldn’t manage due to the extreme conditions and lack of equipment.
Nicolas voiced his frustrations to Lorraine Actu, saying, “It’s unacceptable that the firefighters couldn’t reach the area due to the high water. There is a real lack of resources for rescue operations. Why didn’t we evacuate the students earlier so they could catch the buses?” He also highlighted the need for better flood prevention measures, adding, “We should allow farmers to maintain the waterways like my father and grandfather did. This would help prevent such floods.”
