A Pueblo doctor has been recognized as a hero on The Weather Channel’s “Top Ten: Heroes and Survivors” special, which aired June 10.

Dr. Rocky Khosla’s case made the No. 1 slot, titled “Flood Angels.”

In the summer of 2006, Khosla was northbound on Interstate 25 and took the 29th Street exit in Pueblo. The street resembled a lake in what seemed to be 10 feet of water, Khosla said.

He and other drivers stopped before hitting the water, but one driver went on. Khosla – who was with his wife, Madeleine, and four children – was stunned seeing that driver plow into the water.

He and Howard Absetz got out of their cars and started swimming, intending to shatter the sunken car’s windows and save the driver.

Pueblo police arrived and helped, but the car’s windows wouldn’t break and the doors wouldn’t open. Absetz suddenly felt something in the water, tugged at it and realized it was the driver they were trying to rescue.

She was panicking because she couldn’t swim. She pulled Khosla underwater momentarily before he and the “flood angels” with him got her to safety.

“That moment is probably one of the top,” Khosla said. “Just to see something go from complete disaster to fabulous recovery.”

He said he watched The Weather Channel’s segment. “I’m humbled by the attention, but I don’t believe I deserve all the accolades,” he said. “I did what most people would do in a situation like this one.”

The woman wasn’t hurt, he said, adding that she told him she didn’t want to be identified.