ST. AUGUSTINE, FLA. (WSVN) – Two women were left shaken up after they were trapped in a car that was sinking in a pond near St. Augustine. The passenger in that car recalled the fight for her life.
The incident happened on Saturday morning when the two 18-year-old women found themselves trapped inside the sinking car.
“We just crashed into the water. Please hurry, there is water coming into the car,” said one of the woman.
‘I was scared off my (expletive), I couldn’t move my legs,” said the other woman.
The passenger of the car, who wished to remain anonymous, said her friend was tired after a long day of work. She said they were almost to her home in St. Augustine.
‘She thought the car was closer than what it was and then she swerved right into the pond,” she said.
The St. Johns County Sheriffs Office released a video, which showed the car sinking.
Deputies arrived within minutes.
“Watch out, watch out!” said a deputy. “Get out of the car. Can you swim?”
The passenger said she had been in an accident about a month prior and is suffering from nerve damage. She said she can’t feel her legs and she couldn’t really swim.
“The moment I stood up on the seat to jump out of the window, my legs gave out, and I fell face forward into the water,” she said.
She and her friend found a way to get to the deputies.
Deputy Jayde Glines jumped into the water and created a human chain.
“If we weren’t there on time, those girls were going to stay in the car,” Glines said.
Some people online were wondering why more deputies didn’t jump into the water.
“If we go in, and they start jumping on top of us and sinking us down, it’s a deep pond, then we’re in a worse situation trying to get now more people out of the water,” Glines said.
The passenger said she is thankful for their quick response and is glad she made it out.
“I feel proud of myself, like I feel like a genuine survivor,” she said.
According to deputies, exhaustion was a major factor in the crash.
As for the passenger, she said she’s still struggling with her legs and will need shock therapy.
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