Dad Sucked into Drain Pipe, Shot 500 Feet Under Highway in Freak Accident

An Alabama father was nearly killed in a terrifying flash-flood incident Friday night when he was sucked into a drainage pipe and violently swept half the length of a football field beneath a highway and a set of train tracks — all while believing he’d never see his family again.

Drew Owen, 36, had just stepped outside his Trussville home during a torrential downpour to grab his son’s soccer balls before they floated away down a nearby ditch. What started as a quick dash into the yard turned into a near-death nightmare.

“I never thought I was going to die until that moment,” Owen told WBRC. “It was dark, raining hard, and I just stepped down toward the ball. Next thing I know, I’m gone.”

A Drain Pipe Death Trap

Owen’s yard backs up to a steep culvert that feeds into a massive underground drainage pipe. With floodwaters surging, he stumbled down the slippery ditch and was instantly pulled into the current — without time to even take a breath.

“It was pitch black. All I knew was I couldn’t breathe. That pipe was filled with water. I had no control — I was just flying,” he told WVTM 13. “I thought I’d never come out.”

Owen’s body was shot through nearly 500 feet of water-filled tunnel beneath Highway 11 and a railroad track, unsure if he’d ever see daylight again. The violent ride lasted roughly 45 seconds — long enough for a lifetime of thoughts to flash through his mind.

“I was saying my goodbyes. My wife… my kids… I thought, ‘This is it,’” Owen said. “To make it worse, my dad’s funeral was the next morning. I remember thinking, I’m going to die the day before we bury him.”

A Miracle Escape

But just as quickly as he vanished, Owen came blasting out the other side of the pipe — and into rushing water. He managed to snag a thin tree branch, which miraculously held his weight long enough for him to crawl out of the torrent.

“It wasn’t even a thick branch. I don’t know how it didn’t break,” Owen said. “I’m a big guy. It was a God thing.”

Shoeless, shirtless, and covered in scrapes and bruises, Owen staggered back home — shaken but alive. His wedding ring was bent, his arm and side bloodied, but he hadn’t broken a single bone.

A Warning to Other Parents

Owen said what scared him most was not the experience itself — but imagining what could have happened if it had been one of his children chasing that ball.

“I’ve got three boys. What if one of them ran out instead of me?” he said. “They wouldn’t have made it.”

Local officials confirmed the area has seen drainage issues during heavy rain in the past, but Owen’s story is a chilling reminder of how quickly something ordinary can become deadly.

He hopes his harrowing ordeal serves as a warning to others.

“I went out to get a ball. I almost never came back,” he said. “Don’t take risks in flash floods. No matter how small they seem.”

Authorities are urging residents to stay clear of drainage ditches and culverts during storms. Owen says he won’t be making that mistake again — and he’s hugging his kids a little tighter now.

“It’s a miracle I’m here,” he said. “God had other plans for me.”