Landscaper rescues driver after car drives into pond in Naperville, Illinois
A landscaper jumped into to action to rescue a driver after their car drove into a pond in Naperville and she became trapped inside.
The Plainsfield Fire Protection District said they received a call just before 10 a.m. about a car submerged in a pond with the driver still inside near Royal Worlington Drive and Route 59 in Naperville.
Landscaper Tino Mora was working nearby at the time of the incident.
"I see a lady drowning, and just, I jumped in, you know?" he said.
Mora spoke with CBS News Chicago, telling us he heard a crash and then saw the woman behind the wheel banging on the car's window, asking for anyone to save her.
"I got to go right now," he said he was thinking. "I heard the ambulance far away. I got to do this quickly, because I don't know if they're going to get here in the right moment. I don't know if they're going to get here. So when I saw her in the window I said, 'Nope, I have to jump.'"
Mora opened the passenger door and water quickly flooded the car. He said he grabbed the woman's coat, pulled her up and held her head above water until emergency responders arrived.
The Plainfield Fire Department said the pond is six feet deep. The woman's husband said she doesn't know how to swim, so it was a life-or-death situation.
"The actions of the bystander for jumping in definitely helped save this woman's life," said Plainfield Fire Protection District Chief Vito Bonomo III. "I mean, who knows what would have happened if the vehicle did fully submerged, if the vehicle went down quicker than it did."
Mora said he relies heavily on his faith, and said God put him there for a reason.
"He knew I was there in the right moment for the right person," Mora said. "I don't know, but I hope she's good. I hope she's in good condition. I don't know how she is right now."
Officials said a traffic accident caused the car to veer off the road and into the pond. The car was safely towed from the water.
The woman's husband said physically, she is fine, but mentally, she is traumatized. He said he would like to find Mora so that he can thank him for saving his wife's life.
