Samaritans Jump into Water, Use Knife To Free Woman Who Had Seizure Behind Wheel of SUV
A small crew of good Samaritans is being praised for rescuing a woman who was trapped inside her sinking SUV in Boca Raton, Florida, on Sunday.
According to NBC’s “Today,” the woman, who was alone in her SUV, suffered a seizure while driving. She lost control of the SUV, which plunged into a canal and quickly began to sink.
Passerby Shawn Turner and his son saw the sinking vehicle as they were driving by, and Turner immediately stopped to find out what was happening.
“When I got out the truck, I asked if anybody had seen anybody in the car,” Turner told WPEC-TV. “They said there was somebody in the car, I know cars don’t float long, so I jumped in as quick as possible.”
GREAT WORK!! Shawn Turner and his son drove by, saw what was happening and got involved https://t.co/lILtB69tsj
— ABC7 Sarasota (@mysuncoast) February 24, 2020
Dramatic video footage showed Turner clinging to the SUV while desperately working to free the woman before it was too late.
His body was halfway inside the vehicle as he used a knife to cut the woman free from her seatbelt, “Today” reported.
It was a race against time as the vehicle began to submerge.
Turner’s son could be heard screaming repeatedly for his dad to get out of the sinking SUV.
Adam Gunn, a second good Samaritan, jumped into the water and swam to the driver’s car door while Turner worked to free the woman.
“And then I crawled in there, undid her seatbelt, and then I pushed her out the window,” Turner said.
The two men then worked to bring the woman safely to shore before paramedics arrived.
According to WPLG-TV, a team of rescue divers went into the water to confirm there were no other bodies in the canal.
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue reported on Twitter that the woman was taken to a hospital for treatment.
One patient transported to local hospital after their vehicle goes into canal near Military Trail and Camino Real pic.twitter.com/WRPBm14OTf
— PBC Fire Rescue (@PBCFR) February 23, 2020
Turner said the rescue was something he likely could not have completed alone.
“I’m glad that Adam Gunn was there to help me out because I couldn’t have got her to the side without him,” he said.
“It was a team effort, and we got her to the side and waited for paramedics to come. Once we knew she was breathing, we took a little bit more time.”
The woman’s name has not been released, but Turner wishes her all the best.
“I wish that she has a speedy recovery and gets well soon as possible. She has a family, a husband, people that want to see her better,” Turner said.
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