Emergency workers rescued dozens of people stranded inside Anton's restaurant after a flash flood on the Sauk River Saturday night.
Waite Park Fire Chief Jim Aleshire said around 44 people were stuck inside the restaurant when the water rose.
The department requested mutual aid from St. Joseph and St. Cloud. First responders used three boats and were able to get everyone safely out of the restaurant by about 9:30 p.m.
According to one of the business's owners, Betzy Gaetz, 52, the flood happened around 7:30 p.m.
Gaetz was not in the restaurant at the time, but she said the flood happened so quickly people did not have time to move anything.
Customers were having dinner at the time. The property commonly floods in the spring, but usually to little effect.
Gaetz, whose family has owned the restaurant since the early 1970s, said she has never had a flash flood like this.
According to Aleshire, the area is prone to some flooding, but typically does not see floodwaters rise this.
A St. Cloud man was at the restaurant to pick up a delivery order when he saw the water begin to move into the area, he said.
Travis Schaar, 37, said the water looked almost like a small puddle when it first started. It was "like, 'Oh, what's happening?'"
Schaar said of the first few moments of the flood.
Schaar managed to get the delivery and leave the area, he said.
Emergency crews had left the area by 9:30 p.m. Saturday.
The power will stay on, according to Aleshire, and the water was already receding as of Saturday night.