Citizens acted fast with help from Port Orange, Florida, police officers when a pizza delivery driver veered off the roadway and landed in a canal.
The incident took place Friday after heavy rainfall caused flash flooding to areas of Flagler and Volusia counties, Fox 35 reported.
The driver went off the flooded road and into a canal near Cedar in the Wood.
“She got a little confused and turned left directly into the canal because the water was level with the road,” Port Orange Police Sgt. William Harrison told the outlet.
A neighbor called 911 and the officers rushed over to perform the rescue.
Three officers responded to the call and discovered a woman was trapped inside the car as it sank deeper and deeper in the water.
Dramatic body cam footage shows the officers in the water as they urge the driver to try and climb out the back of the vehicle:
Moments later, an officer begins breaking the car window and a woman is heard screaming from inside, but then the sound is cut off.
Seconds pass before one officer tells the others, “I got her!” and pulls the woman out of the sinking car.
They help her out of the water and one asks if she is alright as she kneels in the grass.
“Yes, I’m okay,” she tells him as she tries to catch her breath.
Sgt. Harrison noted one officer cut himself on the window’s glass and said it can be very dangerous whenever officers enter the water because victims panic.
“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,” he commented.
Doc Smith, who runs the community watch program, saw what happened and told WKMG that his neighbor rushed over to help:
“Anybody in this community that has an issue, there’ll be somebody to help them. All the neighbors are wonderful,” he said.
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