Woman Rescued From Deerfield Beach Canal
DEERFIELD BEACH (CBS4)- A woman is in critical condition after she was pulled from her car when it went into a canal in Deerfield Beach.
Chopper4 was over the canal at Century Village. The Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue crews and BSO deputies rescued the elderly woman from her submerged car just before noon.
At 11:30 a.m., a caller reported an occupied car sinking in a lake behind 1026 Ashby Drive at Century Village, according to BSO.
Two deputies who arrived first dove into the water. They were joined by firefighter/paramedics. In total, about six rescuers were in the water.
"Going down looking in there it was pitch black you really couldn't get in much further," said BSO Deputy Richard Van Der Eems.
When they located the submerged car, they used a center punch to break a window. Then BSO diver Shaun Gibson saw an object floating in the water.
"I tugged on that object and then a limb appeared," said Gibson. "Looking at her and feeling her, she was lifeless. I really didn't know if she had a great chance or not."
Rescuers continued to search for the woman. When they brought her to shore, she was in "full cardiac arrest."
BSFR paramedics began "aggressive advanced life support efforts and continued resuscitation en route to the hospital," according to BSO.
Before they arrived at the hospital, they were able to revive the woman.
Her being under water that long…you're not really thinking she's got the best chances and then all of a sudden she's got a nice, strong pulse," said Lt. Ed Parkinson. "It's a great feeling."
She is in critical condition at North Broward Medical Center.
