HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WSVN) — A Florida deputy is now being hailed a hero after he jumped into action to save a mother and her five children who were trapped inside their overturned minivan.
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Donnie Rizer wasted no time rushing to the victims’ aid when he came across the crash, Tuesday afternoon.
The minivan had overturned after crashing, with children still stuck inside.
Rizer got one of the children who had trouble freeing herself, getting her foot loose and pulling her out of the vehicle.
But there was still one child who was not accounted for.
Ma’am, how many children are in the vehicle?” said Rizer in body camera video.
“I have five. Yes, there’s one in the back,” said the children’s mother.
“How old?” said Rizer.
“A 3-year-old,” said the mother.
The sergeant saw two small fingers through the sunroof. He removed his vest and equipment belt, crawled inside of the vehicle and eventually pulled the toddler to safety.
Rizer went back into the minivan to retrieve one of the children’s pacifiers. He even cleaned it before returning it to the child.
Copyright 2026 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.