MARGATE, FLA. (WSVN) - Two people were OK after they drove their car into a canal in Margate, and they have a quick-thinking police officer to thank.
Coral Springs Police and Fire Rescue units arrived at the scene near the corner of West Sample Road and Riverside Drive, Thursday afternoon.
The victims’ car was in a parking lot located next to the canal when it somehow ended up crashing into the water.
Body camera video captured a police officer, an orange rope in his hands, as he raced toward the canal.
The video then shows Coral Springs Police Officer Christopher Moss jumping into the water.
Moss quickly swam up to the submerged car and made contact with the victim.
“Is there anyone else in the car?” an officer is heard saying in the bodycam video.
Police said Moss smashed the car’s windows to free the driver and passenger, a man and a woman, from the sinking vehicle.
Moss then quickly pushed the victims back to shore. As he’s doing so, the bodycam video showed two good Samaritans swimming toward the vehicle, but the police officer had already freed the occupants and gotten then to the grass.
The man who was inside the car collapsed to the ground, while the woman sat behind him, catching their breath after this dangerous drive.
7Skyforce hovered over the scene, where the car was almost fully submerged in the canal. Only the roof was visible.
One of the victims suffered minor injuries and was transported to the hospital for treatment.
It is unclear what cause them to drive into the canal. The car has since been towed out.
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