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A Florida father died after his vehicle became trapped in flash floodwaters, with his wife now sharing the details of a desperate final call before his death.
Joshua Bennett, 34, of Palm Bay, died Monday after heavy rainfall triggered flooding in Brevard County, along Florida’s east-central coast.
Bennett had reportedly left home to buy coffee when he encountered the rising floodwaters, according to WESH 2 News.
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His wife, Stacy Petit Bennett, told the outlet her husband called her in a panic as his truck became surrounded by floodwaters on San Filippo Drive.
“He called me on FaceTime, and he was just crying, like, ‘I don’t know what to do, I don’t know what to do,'” Stacy Petit Bennett said.
Joshua Bennett, 34, of Palm Bay, Florida, died after his vehicle became trapped in flash floodwaters in Brevard County. Seen on the left is flooding in a different part of Florida on Tuesday. (Saul Martinez/Getty Images; GoFundMe)
“And he said he’s in the middle of a river, and his car is, like, submerged with water all around.”
Stacy Petit Bennett urged her husband to break a window before the call abruptly disconnected. She said she called 911 and spent hours trying to get help for her husband.
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Bennett’s widow described him as an “amazing husband and dad.”
“Every life is important, and everyone deserves a chance to be rescued. To be saved. He was just 34 years old. His kids are young,” she said, according to WESH 2 News.
A general view of San Filippo Drive in Palm Bay is seen above. Joshua Bennett was one of two people who died during flooding in Brevard County, according to local news outlet WESH 2 News. (Google Maps)
Bennett was a father of four, including three children with special needs, according to his wife.
His children include twin daughters who were born prematurely.
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His wife said their children have been asking when their father would be coming home.
Joshua Bennett, seen above, reportedly left home to buy coffee before encountering rising floodwaters that eventually surrounded his truck on San Filippo Drive. (GoFundMe)
“He’s not here. I don’t have my support system. They don’t have their father,” Stacy Petit Bennett said.
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Bennett was one of two people who died during the flooding in Brevard County.
The other victim, Archie Richards, 78, was found dead inside his vehicle near Richards Lane and Hall Road, according to WESH 2 News, citing the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.
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Digital reached out to Brevard County officials for more information.
Other deadly flooding incidents have claimed lives in recent months.
Parts of Brevard County, also known as the Space Coast, were flooded due to heavy rains on Monday, Nov. 2, 2026. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
In October, a 24-year-old French travel influencer was among three women killed in Nicaragua when a pickup truck carrying travelers was swept away by strong currents.
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Earlier this summer, a Utah family of five died after flash floodwaters swept through a hiking and canyoneering area near Sunglow Campground in Fishlake National Forest.
