Two lives were saved on Saturday around 1:00 a.m. thanks to deputies and a good Samaritan in Colorado.
When Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office dispatchers received a 911 call from a person who kept saying, “Please,” but would not respond to questions, the agency’s Rapid SOS system showed there had been a wreck on S. Lima Street, the sheriff’s office said in a release.
Deputies arrived at the scene, and a man got their attention and pointed them to where he believed the crash had happened. He said a black SUV had passed him at a high speed and went off the road, crashing into a ditch.
When deputies searched the area covered in deep snow, rocks, and heavy vegetation, they eventually found the upside-down vehicle submerged in a creek.
Video footage showed the moment the deputies realized it was the vehicle and climbed down toward it. The officers waded through icy waters, calling out to the occupants as they tried to ascertain if they could hear them.
The vehicle’s windows were fully submerged in the water, and at one point, an officer said, “She’s banging on the door,” in reference to a woman inside the SUV.
The officers were eventually able to open one of the doors and pull one of the women out of the vehicle. The second woman was extricated by South Metro Fire Rescue whose crews used the Jaws of Life to rescue her.
The Jaws of Life are hydraulic rescue tools used to extricate people involved in car crashes, according to HowStuffWorks.com.
The video clip also showed firefighters helping the second woman get to her feet.
“If it wasn’t for you, man, if they would have gone off and nobody would have seen them, they probably would have died, to be honest with you,” an officer told the good Samaritan who helped in the rescue.
Per the sheriff’s office, “Both females, ages 22 and 24, were transported to the hospital and miraculously suffered only minor injuries. Both were highly intoxicated. The driver has been charged with DUI.”
Social media users were quick to praise the deputies and good Samaritan for their efforts, one person writing, “They are lucky to be alive! Great teamwork. I hope the Good Samaritan gets an award.”
