Bodycam footage shows Florida police helping a woman out of a sinking car Friday after she crashed into a canal.
The incident happened Friday night when police responded to a 911 call about a pizza delivery driver who had ran off the road and crashed into a canal, WOFL reported. (RELATED: Caught On Bodycam: Officer Saves Woman From Fiery Car)
Police officers in Florida waded into neck-deep water to rescue a panicked driver from a sinking car. pic.twitter.com/BVkM1QJXlq
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) November 9, 2021
The driver crashed into the canal after heavy rain from Nor’easter flooded parts of Flagler and Volusia counties, according to WOFL.
“She got a little confused and turned left directly into the canal because the water was level with the road,” Sgt. William Harrison of the POPD said, WOFL reported.
Three officers including Sgt. Harrison responded to the 911 call and rushed to the scene to find the woman trapped in the vehicle, sinking deeper into the water. The officers acted quickly and proceeded to get the woman out of the car, according to WOFL.
The officers tried getting the woman out by breaking the rear window with one of them yelling, “Climb out the back! Come on, the back is open! I need you to climb out the back,” according to the outlet.
She still could not get out, so the officers broke one of the side windows, the driver was screaming until the screaming suddenly stopped. “She was all the way underwater,” Sgt. Harrison said, WOFL reported.
The officers were able to pull the woman to safety just before most the vehicle was submerged underwater. One of the officers asked if she was okay and she said that she was, according to WOFL.
Sgt. Harrison said that it can very dangerous going into a situation like this one, according to the outlet.
“You’re dealing with moving water, wearing boots, vest, heavy gun belt. You’ve got 20-25 pounds of gear on you. It’s not the best environment for swimming,” Harrison added.
Ohio police officers saved a woman from drowning in a sinking van by forming a human chain in 2020.
A lifeguard ripped of hiss prosthetic leg and jumped into the Newark Bay to save someone trapped inside a sinking vehicle in November of 2020.