Deputies with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office in Florida took swift action recently when a citizen was in extreme danger.
The driver’s car flipped upside down, then landed in a watery canal when he tried to avoid hitting an animal on the roadway, USA Today reported Friday.
When the incident occurred, the man’s iPhone issued an SOS to dispatchers. According to the Apple website, users can add their emergency contacts to alert those individuals with a message.
When deputies and emergency crews arrived at the scene in the dark, they found the car on a desolate road near Indiantown, and the 38-year-old driver calling for someone to assist him.
“Without hesitation, deputies jumped into the water and rescued the injured man. The rescue was caught on MCSO body cam. The victim was transported to the hospital where he is expected to recover,” the sheriff’s office explained in a social media post on Wednesday.
In the video, the man appeared to be laying against one of the seats as the officers encouraged him to move if he was able. One deputy asked if he was pinned anywhere else, and the man told him he was not.
“You wanna grab my hand?” the officer asked, to which the driver replied, “I can’t.”
In a calm voice, the deputy touched the man’s arm, then said, “What about this hand right here?” Seconds later, the man slowly lifted his arm before he emerged from the vehicle:
MCSO BODY CAMS CAPTURE DRAMATIC RESCUE OF CRASH VICTIM TRAPPED IN SUBMERGED VEHICLE AFTER CELL PHONE ALERTS DISPATCH TO SIGNIFICANT CRASH **video warning**It’s technology you may not even realize you have, but this dramatic rescue should remind you of its importance, as well as the importance of sharp dispatchers and brave deputies. Late last night, dispatch received an automated crash distress signal launched from an unknown cell phone. The phone alerted them to only the longitude and latitude of the incident. MCSO dispatchers were then able to get a Google map location using those coordinates to dispatch deputies to the scene near Indiantown. When units arrived to the area, they found a vehicle upside down in a canal. They could hear cries for help coming from inside the vehicle. Without hesitation, deputies jumped into the water and rescued the injured man. The rescue was caught on MCSO body cam. The victim was transported to the hospital where he is expected to recover. We would like to commend our brave deputies and incredible dispatchers for their perseverance and bravery locating and rescuing this crash victim using only coordinates automatically launched from the victim’s phone. Amazing technology, and amazing work.
Posted by Martin County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday, March 1, 2023
Additional video footage shows deputies surrounding the car, reassuring the man they were there to help.
“Okay man, we’re gonna work on a way in,” one of the deputies told the driver:
MCSO BODY CAM SHOWS THE INTENSE MOMENTS DEPUTIES FOUND SUBMERGED VEHICLE AFTER CELL PHONE S.O.S SIGNAL ALERTED 911 DISPATCHERSWe showed you the emotional moments leading to the rescue of a 38 year old man trapped inside his vehicle following a crash into a dark murky canal. Here is the body cam footage as deputies located the vehicle upside down in the water – based solely on automated longitude and latitude coordinates sent to MCSO dispatchers by the victims’s cell phone. The victim could be heard pleading for help, and our deputies wasted no time jumping in the water to calm and save the man. The incident happened around 1am on a dark desolate road after the victim crashed into the water in attempt to avoid an animal in the road. The impact of the crash prompted his cell phone to send an S.O.S alert to our dispatchers with impact coordinates. The additional footage of the rescue can be seen on the prior post.
Posted by Martin County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday, March 1, 2023
Following the rescue, social media users expressed their relief the man was saved, one person writing, “Wow, you guys are so amazing!!! He was so distraught!”
“Such kindness and caring you show Deputies! Thankful we have such good men and women in our county to help us. May the Lord continue to Bless our law enforcement and first responders,” another commented.
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