Four Good Samaritans and a Largo police officer are being called heroes after they helped save a woman who accidentally drove her car into a pond.
Heavy rain was falling Friday when police say a driver missed her turn and went straight into a pond on East Bay Drive at The Palms of Largo.
“I actually saw the car go completely into the pond,” Stephanie Fletcher said.
Fletcher was right behind the car. She pulled over right away and jumped into the pond.
“I didn’t really think,” she said. “I just knew that I needed her to breathe and that I needed to keep her safe.”
With the help of the three other Good Samaritans, Fletcher pushed the car closer to the bank, as the water rose around the driver. Fletcher opened the rear driver-side door and got in, holding the driver’s head above the water line.
“I knew that the lady was in stress, so I was just kind of talking about her,” Fletcher explained. “'How are you? What are you doing today?'”
Around that time, Officer Jonathan DePierre of Largo police showed up, swapping places with Fletcher.
“If we would’ve let her go without holding her up, she would definitely be under the water,” DePierre said.
The officer was eventually able to get the driver out of the car and bring her to shore. She was in shock, but OK.
“I’m not a hero,” DePierre said when asked about what many people are calling him. “Just an officer doing his job. The heroes were the Samaritans.”
Fletcher appreciates the praise, but she doesn’t think she deserves that title either.
“God put me in that position at that time to be there to help that lady,” she said. “I was blessed to be there for her.”
The Largo Police Department is still trying to track down the other three Good Samaritans to say thanks. If you know any of them, the department would like to hear from you. You can email police at policeinfo@largo.com.
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