A man was rescued from a submerged vehicle at Cross Lake Marina in the town of Cato on Sunday afternoon, New York State Police said. Trooper Christopher Cady entered the water and broke the car’s sunroof; a bystander helped get the man out.
Where the rescue happened
Cross Lake lies on the Cayuga-Onondaga county border between the villages of Jordan and Meridian. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation describes it as a widening of the Seneca River.
According to Daily Voice, the rescue happened at the marina's boat launch around 2:37 p.m. on Oct. 4, after Trooper Christopher Cady responded to a report of a vehicle sinking with a man still trapped inside. As reported by Daily Voice, Cady immediately went into the water and used a window punch to break through the vehicle's sunroof.
The person who stopped to help was Dan Titus, the marina’s owner, according to FingerLakes1.com. Titus and Cady pulled the occupant from the vehicle before firefighters arrived, the outlet reported.
Minor Injuries, Major Relief
The man had minor cuts and no serious injuries, according to the department’s account. Cady warned him about the sharp glass left by the broken sunroof as they worked to get him clear.
State police credited the trooper and the citizen who helped with preventing a potentially tragic outcome. The department said it did not immediately know how the vehicle entered the water.
Recovery Effort Complicated by Submerged Trailer
Recovering the vehicle presented a separate problem: a trailer became lodged beneath a dock, complicating efforts to remove it without damaging the marina’s property.
Cady’s body-worn camera recorded the rescue, capturing the response even as the vehicle’s recovery presented its own challenge.
