Two quick-thinking teenagers in Florida have been hailed as heroes after they rescued a driver from a sinking truck in North Lauderdale, according to WSVN. Tony Cooper and his friend Elijah Hodge, both 13, witnessed a Toyota truck plunge into a canal on Wednesday evening and immediately took action without hesitation.
"We rushed and took off our shoes and stuff," Cooper said in an interview obtained by WSVN. The teens jumped onto the vehicle's hood, unfastened the seatbelt, and pulled the unconscious man out to safety. "I started screaming at him because he was heavy while he was in the car. We screaming, he woke up, we helped him get out of the car and after that, he was on the hood and then we pulled him onto the grass," Cooper further explained.
The man was later taken to the hospital where he was reported to be in stable condition, according to The New York Post. Meanwhile, divers scoured the canal waters, working to retrieve the submerged vehicle. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
Dorathy Borgelin, a witness to the incident, recounted the crash's aftermath to WSVN. "Sure enough, I saw there was a car–a pickup truck–that was going under the water," she said. "Then there was two kids, they were on the other side, and then they just jumped into the water. They did an amazing job to save the man’s life."
North Lauderdale Mayor Samson Borgelin praised the teens' courageous actions in a statement. "I am incredibly proud of these young citizens and their heroic efforts. I will be reaching out to them and their families to formally recognize their bravery," Mayor Borgelin noted, as local officials plan to commend the teens at an upcoming commission meeting, as reported by WSVN.
