On a Thursday afternoon in Tolleson, Arizona, a woman and her four children were involved in a car accident when their vehicle crashed through a barrier and into a canal near 95th Avenue and McDowell Road. The incident occurred around 3 p.m., and bystanders quickly responded to help as the car began to sink, according to 12News.
Destina Trevino became a hero when she jumped into a canal to help a family. The mother had already gotten her baby out of the car window, and Trevino said, "She just already had the baby out the window." The mother was worried as the water was rising quickly, saying, "I'm like, ‘I can do one at a time,’ and she's like, 'The water is filling up fast, and I don't know what I'm going to do.'" Despite the calm look of the canal, the water was cold and the current strong, making the rescue harder than expected, as stated by FOX 10 Phoenix and 12News.
Stephen Peers was skateboarding nearby when he saw a family’s car crash into the water. He immediately jumped in to help, saying, "I’m a dad and I just saw the kids and thought someone needs to get in the damn water." While trying to save one of the children, he added, "If she wasn't so brave, I don't know what would happen because that little girl just, we were both choking on the same water at the same time." The family was rescued by him and others, suffering only minor injuries. Emergency responders soon arrived to assist and investigate the crash. Trevino, another rescuer, said, "Very thankful. It’s the holidays and [the mother's] sister, she gave me a big hug and told me thank you for saving her sister and her kids you know. I couldn’t imagine losing them around the holidays," told 12News.
