Grandmother clung to a church cross for FIVE HOURS after her car was washed away on way to Mass in floods that have killed 17 people

• e-mail

A South Carolina grandmother on her way church survived getting washed away by a torrential flood by clinging to a cross for five hours until she was dramatically rescued by her grandson.

Clara Gantt from Blythewood, South Carolina was travelling to her church in Irmo on Sunday morning at 6am when she mistakenly drove into a flood. 

As the water got deeper, Ms Gantt was powerless as her car was swept away by the powerful flood. 

Scroll down for video 

A South Carolina grandmother (left) on her way church survived getting washed away by a torrential flood by clinging to a cross for five hours until she was dramatically rescued by her grandson. Clara Gantt is seen on the left of the right frame wearing a purple and white top, as she clings to the red cross in the floods

Clara Gantt with her grandson Travis Catchings who tried to rescue her on Sunday morning, but also ended up needing to be rescued.  She now has a broken ankle from the ordeal 

Speaking to WIS TV in Columbia she said: 'I knew there was water out there, but I didn't know that it was going to stall me and I did.'

Ms Gantt said she tried to ring the emergency services but could not get through. Instead she called her family and got through to her grandson Travis Catchings.  

'My car shifted and went backwards down into a field. I said 'dear Lord are you taking me home right now?' Immediately I flipped over to my back and it was like he said 'no, not right now'.'

Travis Catchings on top of his grandmother's car which got caught in the water  - during the floods he climbed on top and called his wife 

Ms Gantt was travelling to Church on Sunday morning when she came across the flood in South Carolina 

A team of rescuers, pictured,  managed to save Mr Catchings and Ms Gantt from the raging torrent 

The heavy rains washed away a large section of the roadway near Blythewood, South Carolina 

Travis Catchings said he called his wife during the ordeal. 'I really thought that was the last time that I was ever going to talk to her. I just told her that I loved her and that I didn't know what was going to happen'

She added: 'There was a little church right there. Where my car stopped was right beside a huge red cross. I was literally, after I got out of the car, holding onto the cross. I was clinging to the cross.' 

Mr Catchings arrived at the scene shortly afterwards with a deer harness from a deer stand and some rope. 

'I got [the door] open and got her out of the car,' Catchings said. 'At that point we had to just sit there and wait.' 

The pair of them clung to the cross for five hours until they were rescued by the emergency services.

'The rescue people came,' Gantt said. 

'A guy came out to us with a boogie board. And I said 'I'm losing it' and it flipped with me and I went down in the water.' 

Mr Catchings later posted footage of the raging torrent on his Facebook page as well as cell phone footage of his grandmother clinging to the bright red cross.  

He said: 'So I hopped up on top of the vehicle and I called my wife. I had her phone still with me and I had a waterproof case on it. I really thought that was the last time that I was ever going to talk to her. I just told her that I loved her and that I didn't know what was going to happen.'

A Coast Guard overflight shows the continuing effects of flooding in South Carolina

There has been flooding in the South Carolinian counties of Berkley and Williamsburg

Weather forecasters and state officials warned that major river flooding could continue through the weekend even though the rains had stopped

South Carolina's capital city of Columbia on Tuesday saw its first day without rain since Sept. 23, according to the National Weather Service

U.S. Army Spc. Ira Duville, a maintainer and crew chief with the South Carolina Army National Guard's 2-238th General Support Aviation Battalion Detachment 1, operates the 10,000 pound long-line cargo hook on a Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter over Columbia, S.C.

U.S. Soldiers from the South Carolina Army National Guard assist in positioning the sandbags for a mission involving a Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter in Columbia, S.C., during a statewide flood response

U.S. Army 1st Lt. T.J. Rose, a pilot with the South Carolina Army National Guard's 2-238th General Support Aviation Battalion Detachment 1, maneuvers his Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter to assist in moving sandbags to a canal breech in Columbia

U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua Blizzard, the pick-up zone officer in charge assigned to the South Carolina Army National Guard's 1-151st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, gives direction via walkie-talkie at the pick-up zone for the sandbagging mission 

It could take until the weekend for the threat of flooding to ease. People in four coastal counties were warned Thursday that there may be new evacuations near two rising rivers - the Waccamaw and Edisto.

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham warned of a potential billion-dollar cleanup bill and the University of South Carolina moved its home football game against LSU some 700 miles away to Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

In another image of the storm's otherworldly toll, state officials said caskets have popped out of the ground in 11 instances in six counties.

South Carolina's top agriculture official said he estimates the state may have lost more than $300 million crop losses in recent flooding. Commissioner Hugh Weathers said he flew over flooded areas several times this week and met with state and federal agriculture officials to begin assessing the damage. He said his initial estimate is conservative and could rise. 

About 300 state-maintained roads and 140 bridges remained closed on Wednesday, including a stretch of Interstate-95, state transportation officials said

Thirteen dams have failed and others are being monitored for breaches

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said late Wednesday it had amended the disaster declaration for South Carolina to add five additional counties

At least 19 people in South Carolina and North Carolina have died in the storm.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said late Wednesday it had amended the disaster declaration for South Carolina to add five additional counties. President Barack Obama had initially signed a disaster declaration Monday ordering federal aid to people in eight counties. Three other counties were added earlier Wednesday.

Residents of Summerville, northwest of Charleston, are wondering how long it will be before their lives return to normal. Dorchester Road, a main thoroughfare, remained impassable Wednesday in some spots. Amanda Perez and other residents used canoes and stand up paddle boards to assess the damage to their homes.

My house "is smelly. And, it's wet. And, even though it's showing some improvement today, I know I've lost at least two cars," Perez said. "How am I going to fix this? How am I going to get my kids to school? My cars are under water."

In Summerton, Dottie Carter, the apartment manager of Meadowfield Apartments, told returning residents they have until Friday to remove any belongings they can salvage. After that, everything left behind will be thrown out so crews can clean up and repair the flood damage.

How long that will take, nobody knows.

Meanwhile, Summerton Mayor Mac Bagnal said officials are looking for another place for evacuees to stay if they have no friends or relatives nearby. Local officials plan for classes to resume Monday at Scott's Branch High School, where the local shelter is now.

An 88-year-old woman is evacuated by a Coast Guard aircrew in Andrews, S.C., Oct. 7, 2015. The aircrew is continuing to patrol flooded areas in Berkley and Williamsburg counties for people in need of assistance

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham warned of a potential billion-dollar cleanup bill and the University of South Carolina moved its home football game against LSU some 700 miles away to Baton Rouge, Louisiana

South Carolina's top agriculture official said he estimates the state may have lost more than $300 million crop losses in recent flooding