INDIANTOWN, Fla. (CBS12) — Martin County deputies plunged into a canal Sunday afternoon in a desperate race to save three children and an adult in a mangled, overturned Jeep.
According to deputies with the Martin County Sheriff’s Department, the call came in at 3:08 p.m. at the intersection of SQ Minute Maid Road and SW Allapattah Road.
Upon arrival, crews say they located a Jeep overturned and partially submerged in a ditch.
In a race against time, MCSO deputies jumped into the water and pulled three injured children from the wreckage.
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However, the fourth passenger, an adult, remained trapped inside the mangled vehicle, reportedly requiring Martin County Fire Rescue crews to perform an extrication to free them.
The adult victim was transported to the hospital as a trauma alert with serious injuries, per deputies.
The rescue was a “massive coordinated effort,” according to officials, involving multiple engines, dive teams, and air support.
“Special thanks to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance and immediate life-saving actions on the scene,” fire officials said in a statement.
All four patients were taken to Lawnwood Regional Medical Center for treatment and evaluation. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.