Officer Joseph Rathnam had no time to lose when his shift began Saturday, as a resident desperately needed help in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Rathnam told WPBF a vehicle had crashed into a pond, and an 81-year-old man was trapped inside the car, the outlet reported Monday.
When he and Officer Natalie Mastrangiola arrived at the scene on SW Oakner Street, they removed their duty belts and ballistic vests and dove into the water.
Body camera footage shows the intense moments the officers pulled up and ran toward the white car.
A concerned woman at the scene told an officer, “He’s shaking and nervous like he’s confused,” while speaking of the victim.
Meanwhile, resident Norberto Garcia was nearby in his car with his family and took it upon himself to help in the rescue, saying the man was banging on the car’s window.
Garcia’s children initially did not want him to enter the water because they were afraid of alligators. However, Garcia said, “I didn’t think about gators or anything, just instinct. They were saying ‘you’re a hero’ today.”
The officers eventually busted one of the windows and rescued the driver with help from the Good Samaritan.
“Thankfully, the driver was not seriously injured and he was transported to the hospital as a precaution. We are grateful for the quick actions of our officers, resident, and St. Lucie County Fire District as they worked together to safely rescue the driver!” the Port St. Lucie Police Department wrote in a social media post on Sunday.
Social media users heaped praise on the local heroes for their efforts to save the man; one person wrote, “Bravery at its finest. We are one community and one team.”
“Outstanding work. Proud of you guys,” another user commented.
The victim later told WPBF, “Thank you the police, the firemen, the others who helped me to be out of that car. I am alive today because of them.”