Two deputies rushed into action to save a woman from a car engulfed in flames Wednesday morning in Indian River County, FL.
Video from Indian River County Sheriff’s Deputy Robert Sunkel’s police car shows him pulling up to the scene of a collision between a car and two trucks. The car and one of the trucks are already engulfed in flames as Sunkel exits his vehicle. A man at the scene yells to Sunkel “there’s somebody in that car!”
The woman inside was trapped against her seatbelt, the steering wheel and an airbag.
“Just instantly he runs toward the car pulls out his collapsible baton and starts breaking out the windows,” former deputy Jeff Brauer told WPTV News.
Just a few minutes later, deputy Linda Nolan also arrives at the scene and quickly uses her fire extinguisher from her police car, but it has little effect on the raging fire.
Finally, in just over two minutes the deputies working together are able to free the woman from her vehicle and are able to pull her to safety before the car completely becomes engulfed in flames.
In a news release, the local sheriff, Deryl Loar, said, “We are so proud of Deputies Sunkel and Nolan for their lifesaving efforts earlier this morning. Video of the incident shows that despite danger to themselves, they continued to work to save this woman from her burning car. They were above and beyond their call of duty.”
The woman was airlifted to hospital and is in critical condition.
Comments