Watch CBS News

Officers step in to save American flag knocked down by Hurricane Irma

Flag saved after Irma
Video shows officers rescue American flag after Hurricane Irma 02:19

A video posted on the Facebook page of the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department shows the strength of one Georgia community's resolve after Hurricane Irma swept through the region.

According to the department's post, "On Sept. 11, Lt. Greg Ernst and Capt. Ashley Brown were patroling [sic] Highway 80 when they noticed a familiar flag in the marshy water."

An American flag attached to a piece of driftwood in that location had been a comforting sight for Tybee Island residents and visitors for decades -- but it had been knocked over by Irma's fury.

Lt. Ernst and Capt. Brown decided they needed to rescue the flag and documented their journey in a video that has gone viral on Facebook.

170914-facebook-us-flag-combo-irma.jpg
Photo shows officers rescuing a flag knocked down by Hurricane Irma in Georgia on Sept. 11. Then on Sept. 13 the flag was returned to its rightful place. Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department/Facebook

Upon seeing the flag in the water, one of the officers removed it from the pole for safekeeping until after the storm.

Two days later, on Sept. 13, the officers returned to place the flag back in its rightful location in time for residents to see it when they returned home.

So far the video has been viewed more than 54,000 times and shared more than 1,200 times.

You can view the video in its entirety in the player above.

170914-facebook-us-flag-rescued-georgia.jpg
Capt. Ashley Brown and Lt. Greg Ernst Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department/Facebook
View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.