Wakeman, Ohio (WJW) – Drake Munro, his cousin Morrison, and their friend Connor Dawson should not have been together on Saturday.
The three eventually brought a friend for his birthday dinner, but went to the wrong restaurant.
On the way home, they were advised by a relative to avoid Road 60 through Wokeman, as the River Vermilion for rain threatened to break through its shores over the road.
They now believe that being in the right place at the right time may have been an act of divine intervention.
Win a $ 2.8 million lottery ticket purchased in Ohio but has not yet been requested
About an hour before sunset on Saturday, the three Collins Western School adult schools were heading for the home on the road 60 when they say it seemed like a car was appearing right with them.
Connor, who was driving, turned to miss it, but the car continued through a narrow gap between security and wood, disappearing into the raging river.
“It was just like a 50-foot, massive splash. You can hear it. You can hear it from there in our car,” Drake said.
The trio ran to the river, decided to save anyone who was in the other car.
“My first thought was to just take off my shoes because it’s hard to swim with shoes and jump straight into the water,” Drake said.
He said the current had pulled him completely underwater, but he was able to swim to the car where the high school fighter struggles to open the car door.
“I opened the door and it opened only about three to five inches and it was super difficult to open. It drowned as hard as I could,” he said.
“I think he struggles with the left door first and then started moving on the right side and I told him,” No, if you open this side, everything would just rush and sink faster because of the current, “Morrison said.
“He (Connor) saw me fighting the door and then he jumped and raised the door open and I got in the passenger seat and I was like,” Hey, get out of the car, “said Drake.
He told Fox 8 that the driver looks lethargic, moving too slowly as the car quickly sinks.
“I was like,” We went down too quickly. ” For example, the water is already at my belly in the car, so I just grabbed it and threw it away, “Drake said.
Westpark residents fierce, concerned against the background of a rash of vehicle breakthroughs
“He went straight under the water as soon as he threw him away, and I pulled him toward me and I started holding him and he couldn’t try to swim,” Connor said.
Morrison, who was at the banks, who called 911, managed to get in and pull the driver of safety.
Drake said that as he reached the shores, he turned to see the car completely submerged, which happened in just about five seconds.
The freezing water driver and the shores until the first fire truck arrived. Lieutenant Jim Palmer from Wakman’s volunteer fire service was on this first truck.
“We were prepared for the worst when we got here, but it was actually really good when we got here thanks to them,” Palmer said.
“We got here and you guys took him out, which was a savior right there for him. This facilitated our work,” he told the three teens.
The driver was taken to a nearby hospital and is expected to be fine.
The crash is in the process of investigating a highway patrol in Ohio.
In the meantime, there is little doubt that the efforts of the three teens helped save his life.
“I know the risks of this water when it rages it because we have lost some of our family members in the same river for the same reasons,” Drake said.
“Absolutely, I wouldn’t look at a man to drown in front of me. I mean there’s no way, I couldn’t do it,” Morrison said.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material cannot be published, emitted, rewritten or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports and streaming video, focus on FOX 8 Cleveland WJW.