STUART, Fla. — Two Martin County deputies are being praised for their bravery after pulling crash victims from a submerged vehicle over the weekend.

The victims were traveling eastbound on Martin Highway (714) when another car struck their vehicle, forcing it off the road into a deep, water-filled embankment. Their car became fully submerged with both occupants trapped inside.

Deputies Matt Fritchie and Juan Pepper-Orelliana, guided by dispatch and the faint sound of a car horn, located the hidden crash site along the dark stretch of roadway. They jumped into the water, broke into the vehicle and pulled the victims to safety. Both were transported to the hospital with injuries.

The sheriff’s office is investigating the crash and working to identify the vehicle that fled the scene. Officials commended dispatchers and deputies, calling their actions a “clear case of warriors risking their own lives to save others.”

Source: Martin County Sheriff’s Office