An aspiring detective, assisted by his eagle-eyed 6-year-old daughter, rescued an elderly driver who had crashed into an irrigation canal on Monday, according to California officials.
According to the California Highway Patrol, Cyle Johnson and his wife Ashley Martin were visiting a home in Live Oak when their young daughter, Cayleigh, watched a car roll over while playing in the front yard.
Motorist Robbie Carpenter, 75, landed upside down with her head submerged in nearly 2 feet of water during a recent storm.
After Cayleigh told her parents, they acted immediately. Johnson, 28, leaped into the canal and unlocked the front door, finding Carpenter waterlogged and lifeless, according to officials.
An unknown stranger stopped and assisted him in cutting the septuagenarian’s seatbelt and removing her from the vehicle.
“We were there at the exact right time because it could have been 10 seconds, and her life could have been gone,” said Martin, who contacted 911 during the emergency, according to KCRA.
Carpenter was brought to a local hospital for minor injuries.
“Had it not been for the heroic actions of Cyle, Ashley, and their daughter, this would have been a much different outcome,” the Sheriff’s Office said. “We applaud the life-saving actions demonstrated by this family!”
According to the California Highway Patrol, Johnson aspires to work in law enforcement.
“We were planning on working in a recruitment pitch to Cyle, but he told us he was ALREADY in the hiring process with the CHP!” the department stated on Facebook.