A mother and daughter in California are alive today thanks to the efforts of two good Samaritans. A vehicle carrying the parent and child veered off the road and into a river in San Joaquin County earlier this week, nearly ending their lives.
One man involved in the rescue disappeared from the scene after his heroic efforts. Authorities have since found a body, but don't know if it's one of the people potentially responsible for leading the mother to safety.
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The mother had gone under the water when the second person went in to save her.
The incident took place around 1:30 p.m., when a witness saw a mother and her 5-year-old daughter standing on top of an SUV, CBS News reports. The vehicle was submerged in the San Joaquin River in Tracy, California. The first of the two good Samaritans helped the child get safely to shore. A second person went into the water to assist the mother, who had already gone under the water.
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Search efforts continue for the second man.
Later, the mother made it to shore. When medical professionals found her, she was unresponsive, but they were able to revive her on the scene. However, the second good Samaritan never turned up. Crews traveled to the body of water and searched for that second person for hours, unsuccessfully.
They were unable to determine if he drowned in the water or was able to walk away from the scene. Eventually, when it got too dark outside, they suspended their efforts. Search efforts resumed at first light the next morning.
A witness said he'd never seen anything like this car crash.
Investigators reported that the mother and daughter were driving along Airport Way when their SUV went off the road. The two hit a tree before landing in the water near Kasson Road. Anthony Amaral, another witness to the incident said, “I’ve seen multiple accidents, trucks, cars but nothing like this.” The 5-year-old girl emerged from the scene uninjured.
The mother is currently in critical condition.
The mother is currently in critical condition, as she undergoes treatment for major injuries, Fox 40 reported. Airport Way is closed in both directions while authorities continue to search the area for the other person.
They are also attempting to retrieve the SUV from the water. The local fire department has deployed dive teams, boat teams, drones, and other air support in an attempt to find the man.
Midday on Wednesday, a man's body was found in the area, but the body has yet to be identified.
