(CBS-DETROIT) – U.S. Border Patrol agents rescued a driver stuck in a flooded ditch in the Upper Peninsula on Tuesday.
Officers patrolling the area on snowmobiles responded to the rollover crash near Paradise. Officials say the vehicle rolled into a large ditch full of water, trapping the driver inside.
When officers arrived, they entered the vehicle through a window and attempted to pull the driver out, but the driver was trapped in the steering wheel. Officers deployed an airbag and held the driver’s head out of the water to prevent him from drowning.
Officers worked with bystanders to secure the vehicle to a tree and used wood to keep the vehicle from sinking further into the water.
Officers then assisted Whitefish Township Fire Department in extricating the driver from the vehicle.
“I am proud of the officers who responded quickly to this potentially tragic event and did not hesitate to climb into the vehicle to assist the trapped motorist,” Chief Patrol Agent John Morris said in a news release. “The quick thinking and selfless actions of these officers and bystanders saved the valuable time needed to get more help.”
The driver was taken to an area hospital for treatment.
