A shocking video captures the moment heroic Florida cops rushed into a pond to rescue a man who was trapped inside a sinking car.
Four Orlando officers could be seen in bodycam footage fearlessly rushing into the dark water toward the helpless driver just past 10 p.m. on Aug. 6.
The unnamed driver had landed their car in the retention pond after bursting past the on-ramp corner that led to I4 East Expressway from 408 East Expressway in the heart of the city, the Orlando Police Department said.
Officers arrived to see the SUV partially submerged and the driver ferociously pounding on the glass in an attempt to escape the sinking vehicle.
The resounding bangs of the driver’s punches against the glass can be heard echoing — even over the sound of the massive freeway intersection.
“He’s going down more!” one of the officers can be heard saying.
Two officers quickly removed their bulletproof vests and utility belts and rushed into the water to help free the man.
The additional manpower, however, may have only accelerated the car’s nosedive toward the water.
“Careful! Careful! The car’s moving, careful!” a cop yelled.
The officers were finally successful in breaking the glass and pulling the driver free — and just in the nick of time.
The taillights of the car appear to be the only visible portion of the vehicle left as two other officers are seen swimming toward the trio with rescue rope in hand.
The team used the yellow rope to yank the driver back to shore, but he slips underneath the water just before reaching the bank.
The frantic search for the man beneath the pond’s black surface lasted only a few seconds before one officer grabbed his shirt and lifted him back up.
The cops formed a human link to pull the driver out of the water and laid him on the bank.
He almost immediately began spitting out and coughing up water, but was able to respond to the officers’ questions — most importantly that he had been the only person in the doomed vehicle.
In the background, the video shows that the car had completely slipped beneath the pond’s surface.
The driver — and his rescuers — escaped without sustaining serious injury, police said.
“Special kudos to OPD Officers Crow, Harmon, Kissane and Peterson!” the department said. “Great job, Officers!”
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