NAPLES, Fla. (WSVN) – First responders had to lock down during Hurricane Ian as conditions worsened. Now, they are out rescuing people who are trapped, and it has been a long and dangerous process.

Flooded firehouses are drying out and first responders are doing what they were trained to do: save lives.

Newly released video captured U.S. Coast Guard on patrol across Southwest Florida on Wednesday, as they tried to find people who were stranded.

Coast Guard crews rescued some people from Sanibel Island, which is currently cut off from the mainland when its bridge was severed in several spots.

“As soon as the winds died down to where it was safe, you had the Coast Guard out, urban search-and-rescue teams, the National Guard out assisting people,” said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

In Naples, one rescuer opened the front door of a car that was submerged in water as another helped with a life vest for the woman who was trapped inside. They used a rope to guide her to safety.

Naples Fire Rescue continued to document their life-saving efforts under incredibly difficult circumstances in the wake of Hurricane Ian.

First responders were even spotted on personal watercraft.

“We made a complete sweep of the community and checked all the welfare checks we had listed from throughout the storm,” said Naples Fire Rescue Chief Pete Dimaria. “We’re in a good place now. We have a long, long, long way to go.”

Naples is part of Collier County. Its coastal areas were swamped by Ian.

Their sheriff’s office released a new aerial video, Thursday.

A flock of birds flew by, but cars were few. A fire truck rolled along a flooded road.

Firefighters also checked out the aftermath of a garage fire.

In Lee County, the sheriff’s office posted a video that was set to somber music, which no doubt matched the mood of so many there.

Black smoke rose in the distance and was surrounded by damaged homes. Debris from structures was scattered everywhere.

Chunks of road on a barrier island were missing, swallowed by the sea. Parts of this neighborhood are still submerged, according to the sheriff.

“There are people that I know that did not evacuate,” said Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno. “They’re in their homes. They’ve tried to take cover. They’ve gone to the second floor and possibly even the attic because the water got so high here with the surge of approximately 15 feet, give or take, you know. We got a long road ahead of us.”

Florida’s Emergency Management team announced Thursday night that about 700 people have been rescued in Lee and Charlotte counties since efforts began in the morning. Those rescues are ongoing.

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