It was a race against time to save a woman trapped inside her vehicle after she crashed into a Palm Beach Gardens canal, as dedicated police officers dove in without a second thought, and now they’re being hailed as heroes.
Four Palm Beach Gardens Police officers answered the call last week. Body camera video shows them immediately jumping into a canal to save a driver who veered off the road and crashed into the water, July 24.
Officers Kristen Slaughter and Josh Kennedy said they didn’t think twice.
“I remember specifically going, ‘Oh, my gosh, I can see her,’” said Slaughter.
“She was unconscious, when the water went up to her head,” said Kennedy.
“I just remember going, ‘OK, we’re going in,’” said Slaughter.
Officers Sheldon Keel and Ryan Trudeau joined Slaughter and Kennedy, as they swam roughly 20 yards in murky water and broke into the victim’s car.
As the vehicle went down, the woman and Kennedy were still inside.
“I pulled myself into the car. I just grabbed her,” he said.
Working together, the officers pulled the driver out and brought her to solid ground.
The motorist is now doing OK.
“We were all just so concerned about her,” said Slaughter.
As for the officers, they remain humble.
“The credit goes to just beyond the four of us,” said Slaughter.
But the officers are nevertheless being hailed as heroes for the swift rescue, as experts warn of potential dangers, like alligators, in similar waters.
“I figured, with the impact of the car, hopefully would have spooked everything away,” said Kennedy.
“The heroes aren’t just the ones went in the water; they’re the other officers as well,” said Slaughter.
Officials said the driver went off the road after she lost consciousness behind the wheel. She was taken to the hospital to be checked out.