Newly released bodycam video and 911 audio show Hillsborough County deputies hustling into waist-high water to haul a driver from a sinking car after it veered off the road into a retention pond Sunday night. The clip captures deputies smashing a window and lifting the woman to shore as the vehicle rapidly fills with water. The driver was treated for minor injuries, and the sheriff's dive team later recovered the submerged car.
According to a press release from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, HCSO's 911 center took the call just after 9 p.m., reporting a vehicle in the water at 70th and Hartford Street. Deputies pulled up within minutes, waded into the pond, "broke through a window" and dragged the driver to safety, the release states. Sheriff Chad Chronister praised the response, saying, "Our deputies did not hesitate when seconds mattered most."
Video and 911 Audio Capture Tense Race Against Time
Coverage from WTSP highlights how the body-worn camera footage and the recorded 911 call lay out both the panic in the car and the urgency on shore. In the audio the driver pleads for help as the water rises. In the video deputies can be seen working in tandem and using their equipment to reach her. WTSP's report includes the full bodycam clip and the emergency call that authorities released.
How Deputies Pulled Off the Pond Rescue
Local reporting from CBS12 notes that deputies relied on a yellow rope and coordinated wading efforts to hoist the woman out of the partially submerged vehicle. HCSO's dive team later removed the car from the pond. Officials say the driver escaped with only minor injuries, and there have been no arrests or criminal allegations reported in connection with the crash.
Aftermath and Ongoing Review
Sheriff Chronister and HCSO officials say the agency will continue reviewing the incident while publicly commending the deputies for their quick action. The office has urged anyone with additional information about the crash to contact HCSO, and the driver's identity has not been released. The department's news release along with the televised footage remain the primary sources for the bodycam and 911 audio now making the rounds online.
