Sugar Land Police this weekend rescued a woman who drove into a pond.
They spoke about the heroic event Thursday.
Police body cam video shows Sugar Land officers in murky water during the rescue. Saturday morning’s 911 call came in at 6:20 a.m. from a witness who saw an SUV plunge into the lake near the intersection of Meadowcroft and Westcott.
“I was the first officer on scene,” Officer Micah Wilks said at a press conference Thursday.
Officer Wilks said he immediately took off his belt with his weapon but was still wearing his heavy vest and boots when he swam to the SUV.
He immediately started to break windows to get the female driver out.
“It was our understanding that she was a nurse that worked overnight, so she was working long hours and was really tired, and possibly fell asleep behind the wheel," he said.
Soon after, Officer Garrett Driscoll arrived. He says the woman was trying to stay composed, but was clearly panicking.
“I was able to ask her, ‘Is there anyone else in the car?’ because that was also our concern. Does she maybe have a child in there? ‘No, there’s no one else in the car. Yes, I am able to swim.’"
Officer Michael Candler also jumped in. The three officers knew there was no time to spare with water creeping into the car. Their window breakers shattered the back window.
The driver was initially reluctant to climb to the back, but she knew there was no choice, since her window proved more difficult to break. The officers, who were treading water, were able to pull her out.
“We were probably in the water for a minute, minute and a half,” Officer Candler said.
It is water, like most lakes in our area, that is home to alligators and snakes. That was not a deterrent to these officers, who never once trained for a water rescue like this.
“It’s not something you train for. Just life skills. Just do what you gotta do. It comes to helping people,” Officer Wilks said.
“It’s what we want to do as police officers,” Officer Candler added.
Within seconds of saving the woman, the officers say the woman’s SUV sank to the bottom of the lake.
Sugar Land Police say if you ever find yourself stuck in your car, submerged in water, do your best to stay calm and undo your seatbelt. They suggest having some kind of window breaker in your vehicle so that you can get yourself free.
KHOU 11 News contacted the driver who said she is simply too embarrassed by what happened to speak on camera, but she did express her gratitude toward the officers who saved her.