VIDEO: Salt Lake City Police, Firefighters Rescue Kids from Submerged Car

First responders in Salt Lake City saved two children from a submerged car that landed upside down in a canal Saturday after the driver lost control.

“The woman and four children, ages 17, 16, 15, and 2, were in the car driving near Indiana Ave. and Delong St., at around 11:00 p.m., when it went into the water,” the Salt Lake City Police Department (SLCPD) said in a news release.

The driver and two kids were able to escape from the sinking vehicle, but the two youngest were still trapped inside when the police got there.

The release continued:

Upon arrival, four officers quickly removed their vests and belts and ran into the water to save the children as the car slipped under the surface. One officer dived into the water several times to enter through a window but was unable to get in due to the murkiness of the water.

…

Salt Lake City Fire Department arrived and several fire fighters dove into the river to help the rescue efforts. One firefighter was able to use his fire-fighting SCBA to make entry and retrieve the 2-year-old child from the vehicle. Both patients were passed on to waiting Salt Lake City Fire Paramedics and they were able to resuscitate them.

The children were then transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. However, the SLCPD reported that one of them later died from their injuries:

Following the incident, Chief Mike Brown praised the police officers for their rescue efforts.

“With no thought to personal safety, officers immediately stripped their gear and attempted a daring rescue of these two children. It was dark. The water was cold. But these officers did not hesitate to come to the [sic] aid and work to save lives. I am proud of them,” he said.

The department later shared a photo from the bodycam footage taken at the scene:

Salt Lake City Fire Department (SLCFD) Chief Karl Lieb said the rescue illustrated the dedication of the city’s public safety employees.

“The immediate action of both SLCPD and SLCFD brought both children out of the water and to awaiting medical care. Anything less would not have given these kids even a chance of survival,” Lieb noted.

“This is what we do. And I am exceedingly proud of our team’s commitment to preserving life – even at great risk to our own,” he concluded.