Cellphone video shows a former Marine jumping into action in northwest Indiana to save two women.
Carlos Fernandez was driving near I-80 and Kennedy Avenue Thursday around 6 p.m. when he noticed a black car ride off the road and in the water.
"My original plan was, I was going to grab my chain from the back of my truck, and I was going to pull the car out. I didn't know [there] was anybody in the car, and a gentlemen yelled out 'there's two people in the car!' And as soon as I heard that, I instantly jumped in the water," said Fernandez.
You can see him carrying the women out of the water in the cellphone video.
"They were both freaking out a little bit. They were both scared. You could tell there wasn't a lot of water at that point in time but once I opened the door it became a lot of water," said Fernandez.
All of it happened within about five minutes as he took three trips into the water to help the women before Indiana State Police arrived.
"One of the ladies had her foot stuck in the mud and she couldn't walk so [I was] like, alright, I'm carrying them out," said Fernandez.
Fernandez tells us it can get really dark in this area at night here off of Kennedy Avenue and there's no sign to warn drivers.
"I would like if they can even put one of those signs right here that states, 'hey you gotta turn this way.' Because at night you can't see this. Nobody knows this is here."
Fernandez says both of the women seemed to make it out without any major injuries.
It's an act of heroism this Marine expects of himself.
"I just felt like it was the right thing to do. I think it was the Marine in me just, hey, you always have to do the right thing. Something we preach in the Marine Corps is integrity, doing the right thing when nobody is looking," said Fernandez.
