Good Samaritans pull person from Schuylkill River after car submerges underwater: "very fortunate"

A group of people near a collegiate rowing boathouse sprang into action to save the life of a person trapped inside a car that had driven into the Schuylkill River on Friday.

Crews were called to the banks of the river along Kelly Drive around 12:30 p.m. and learned that a vehicle was submerged.

One person was rescued from the vehicle by a group of Good Samaritans who jumped into the water and brought the person back to shore.

Libby Peters said she was sitting near the Temple University boathouse along the river and shooting a documentary when she heard a splash.

"We looked and there was a red car floating in the river," Peters said.

Video from Camilo Echavarria showed the vehicle while it was still floating.

Peters immediately jumped into the water and swam out to the car. 

"I was pretty tired by the time I got to the car. Thankfully, he got himself out of the car and I stayed with him until some other swimmers could come," Peters said. "I was just trying to get to him and get him out because the car was going under."

Others including Elisha Fox jumped into the water with life jackets.

"I got the life jackets under him so he could float, I swam in high school," Fox said.

Fox just happened to be passing by when the situation unfolded and he saw the man in need.

Philadelphia police later confirmed that civilians rescued the driver and that he had been transported to the hospital. The man has not been publicly identified and there was no word on his condition.

The witnesses said the driver appeared to have suffered some sort of medical episode, but that was not immediately clear.

Peters said the driver is incredibly fortunate.

"I was trying to yank the door open, and the door was locked, and thank God his windows were open ... had the windows been closed, I couldn't get the door open... he's just a very fortunate man," she said.

Efforts to recover the submerged vehicle were continuing into the afternoon on Friday.  

This is a developing story and will be updated.