2 women drowned in a sheriff's van during Florence flooding while being transported to a mental health facility

Two women drowned in a sheriff's van during Hurricane Florence flooding.The women were in the process of being transported between mental health facilities.At the time, they were reportedly shackled and could not free themselves.The deputies transporting the women were saved, and reportedly tried to rescue the women, but failed.The incident is being investigated.Two women drowned in a sheriff's van submerged in Hurricane Florence flooding in South Carolina on Tuesday, ABC reports. The women were in the process of being transported between mental health facilities.Two Horry County Sheriff's deputies were also in the van. But they could not rescue the women due to the rising flood waters.At the time, the women were reportedly shackled and unable to free themselves from the vehicle. According to County Sheriff Phillip Thompson, rescuers were able to save the deputies but could not open the doors to extricate the women, ABC reported."Last night, we had a tragedy," Thompson said in a statement to INSIDER on Wednesday. "Two individuals being transported by our HCSO van were involved in a high-water incident and died. Our deputies were driving the vehicle when it was swept away by flood waters."Per ABC, the women were on their way from Loris Hospital Waccamaw Center for Mental Health to McLeod Health when flood waters overcame the van.Thompson told INSIDER that the Marion County Coroner has since identified women as Windy Newton, 45, of Shallotte, North Carolina, and Nicolette Green, 43, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.The incident happened in Marion County as they were traveling over Route 76 along the Little Pee Dee River, which branches off from the Lumber River. The latter had overflowed due to flooding caused by the hurricane, ABC reported.Thompson said the State Law Enforcement Division is investigating the incident.Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.Join the conversation about this storyNOW WATCH: Medical breakthroughs we will see in the next 50 years
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