Ocala, United States - October 03, 2024

In a heroic display of bravery and quick thinking, three Ocala police officers performed a life-saving rescue late October 3td night, pulling an unconscious woman from a submerged vehicle in a retention pond at the Fore Ranch subdivision in southwest Ocala.

The incident began around 9:21 p.m. when a call alerted authorities to a vehicle in distress, plunging into the murky waters of the pond. Sgt. David Moorehead, along with Officers Ivan Hernandez and Hamilton McPhillips, rushed to the scene in the 4100 block of Southwest 54th Circle, arriving within minutes of the distress call.

Without hesitation, the officers waded into the chest-high water. Using an expandable baton and a pocket knife with a window punch, they broke through the vehicle's windows to access the trapped driver, identified only as an adult woman. The officers managed to open the driver-side door and extricate the woman from the sinking Honda.

"The immediate action of these officers likely saved this woman's life," Sgt. Moorehead told a Star-Banner reporter, emphasizing the critical nature of their timely response.

The woman, the sole occupant of the vehicle, was unconscious when brought to the pond's edge. Ocala Fire Rescue personnel were on hand to provide immediate medical attention. She was subsequently transported to HCA Florida Ocala Hospital under a trauma alert, but her condition has since stabilized.

The exact cause of the vehicle entering the pond remains under investigation, though initial reports suggest the driver might have suffered a medical episode, leading to the accident. Witnesses reported the vehicle accelerating through an entry gate before veering off-road into the water.