Sailors Save Man From Submerged Car
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Navy sailors leap into action to save Pensacola man from submerged vehicle
By Mike Brantley
ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. (WALA) – A 37-year-old Pensacola man is alive thanks to quick action by two Navy sailors who witnessed the man’s car plunge into Bayou Chico Creek Sunday night and become submerged.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the incident happened about 9 p.m. in the area of U.S. 98 and Navy Boulevard in Escambia County. The FHP reported the Pensacola man had suffered a medical emergency while driving a white Mercedes automobile eastbound in the westbound lanes of U.S. 98 at a high rate of speed.
According to the highway patrol, the car ran the red light and traveled through a Murphy’s Express parking lot before colliding with a concrete parking bollard. The vehicle then went through a chain-link fence and onto the Southwest Greenway boardwalk.
The car ultimately crashed into Bayou Chico Creek, becoming completely submerged.
Two Navy sailors assigned to Naval Aviation Schools Command at Naval Air Station Pensacola witnessed the crash and immediately rendered aid. The FHP said one of the sailors jumped from the boardwalk into the water and heard the driver knocking on the windows. He broke through the sunroof and pulled the driver from the submerged vehicle.
The sailor pulled the driver to the shore where the other sailor brought him ashore and started rendering first aid until Escambia County EMS paramedics arrived.
The highway patrol reported the sailor who had gone into the water swam back and entered the sunken vehicle to ensure no one else was inside. That sailor was treated at a local hospital for injuries sustained in the rescue, officials said.
The driver was taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries not believed to be life threatening, the FHP said.
P-Cola is home to Navy Rescue Swimmer School. These sailors should apply, Bravo Zulu!
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Good lads. Bravo Zulu indeed.
Navy is good for that. Those guys can swim and love saving people.
It was 22 years ago this month when the Navy Reserve unit in Baltimore jumped in the icy stormy water and saved 20 people from the sinking of the Lady D water taxi. Their rescue craft was an amphibious assault craft that they were drilling with that month. They used the ramp to partially afloat the Lady D while they got underneath it.
The capsizing happened right in front of them and they didn’t hesitate a second. They had all the survivors out of the water before the first rescue boat arrived. Despite minimum training in water rescue.
I remember reading about the Baltimore water taxi… Back in the early 1990’s we used to drive down to Baltimore Harbor for the Dennis Smith Fire House magazine convention and used the smaller taxis to go out to dinner in the different eatiries.
RIP Dennis author of report from Engine 42 about the Bronx 1970 war years…
Engine Co 82 Jeff…
But yeah, went to that convention a couple times myself.. they moved it after the Baltimore riots, as even the inner harbor which used to be safe became part of the demonrat shithole..
BZ Flags up, nice grab the Sailor made.