An Alberta man who helped two people and a baby get to safety after their vehicle became submerged in a pond outside of Calgary on Wednesday says intuition took over when he happened upon the scary scene.
TJ Gilberg, 24, was driving from Calgary back home to Carseland, Alta., at around 2:30 p.m. when a man by the side of the road captured his attention.
He said the man was waving his hands in an attempt to flag down drivers passing by.
As he pulled over, Gilberg said he spotted a blue Chevrolet sedan partially submerged in a pond in the area of Stoney Trail and Highway 22X.
“I didn’t really think, I just reacted,” Gilberg added.
“I just ran over, took my jacket off, jumped in and helped them out.”
Gilberg said the water in the pond was up to his chest as he waded through it.
“I took out the baby first, and then I helped the other two out,” he explained. “I was able to open the driver’s side door … I passed the baby to another gentleman that was helping me get them out of the water.”
Afterward, Gilberg got into his vehicle to take off his wet clothes, borrowing a pair of coveralls from another helper at the scene. He then joined the occupants of the vehicle as they waited for emergency crews to arrive.
Gilberg said he didn’t know how the sedan ended up in the pond, but the occupants seemed all right once they got out of car.
“I’m just glad they’re OK,” he said.