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:
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:
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.