CLEARWATER, Fla. — Just before 10:30 Saturday morning, Clearwater Fire & Rescue got the call.
"Rescue 48 was dispatched. We received multiple calls advising a vehicle had crashed and went to the pond," said Lieutenant Benjamin McBride. A 69-year-old woman had an apparent medical emergency, she lost control of her car and veered into the water.
McBride was one of the first firefighters on-scene. "Fire Medic Stephanie, myself enter the water and swam to the vehicle," said the lieutenant.
When firefighters arrived on the scene they said the car was almost completely underwater. With only the rear window showing, they knew time wasn’t on their side.
"So what I ended up doing is taking a window punch and taking the window out, clearing the gas and thinking, I can kind of reach in and grab her," McBride said.
At first, McBride was holding on to the woman's arm, but as the car started to quickly sink he lost hold. Luckily Lt. Wade Bishop, who has more than a decade of water rescue experience, happened to be nearby.
"My second dive attempt, I had to maneuver her to the passenger window that they had already broken and started removing her out at that time," Bishop said. "Lieutenant McBride helped me finish removing her and the three of us swam her to shore."
After medics performed life-saving measures, they were able to revive the woman. The whole operation took just 12 minutes.
"It was kind of one of those adrenaline dumps. We actually sustained some cuts, so a lot of us were bleeding, and didn't realize that we were injured," said McBride. "Not too many calls like this end well.”
For both men, the successful rescue was a reminder of why they became firemen in the first place.
"These are the days that really mean something. We really, really made a difference on Saturday, and that's what we want. I think we all come to work to make a difference in people's lives," Bishop said.
According to Clearwater Fire & Rescue, at the last check, the woman was in good condition in the hospital in a medically induced coma. She is expected to recover.