A Good Samaritan Jumped Into Water And Rescued A Toddler Who Fell Out Of A Car, Authorities Say

May 04, 2021 by apost team

Road accidents are unfortunately a very common occurrence, but thankfully not all of them are fatal. Statistics show that there are on average 6 million car accidents in the U.S. every year, and sadly, 3 million people are injured. 

A multi-vehicle crash occurred in Ocean City, Maryland on Sunday, May 3, 2021, and while the number of people involved was quite high, luckily nobody was seriously injured. The incident took place on the Route 90 bridge over Assawoman Bay when two vehicles were involved in an accident that resulted in eight people being taken to hospital. 

One of the people involved was a 23-month-old girl who fell out of one of the vehicles and into the bay, before a man, who was also involved in the accident, jumped in to rescue her. Choosing to remain anonymous, he has been called a "humble hero" by the fire department who also arrived on the scene to help out. The little girl is expected to make a full recovery, as are the remaining seven people who were taken to hospital after the crash. 

Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash, which took place in the early afternoon. Police were called to the scene at 2:45 p.m., where they found one vehicle half-hanging over the guardrail, while multiple people were injured. Firefighters secured the car with rescue tools while paramedics worked to treat several of the patients.

This incident is a very lucky scenario in which none of the people involved were left seriously injured or worse, but tragically that's not always the case.

When the car accident occurred on the Route 90 bridge on Sunday, May 3, 2021, one of the parties involved was the anonymous man. As he was driving on the bridge and became involved in the crash, the other driver was seen pointing down to Assawoman Bay, where the 23-month-old girl was lying face down in the water. 

Without skipping a beat, the man knew he had to do something. Ryan Whittington, who is a firefighter and medic at the Ocean City Fire Department, told CNN that the man "just jumped into action." He described the water at that part of the bay as being only 5 feet deep, while the jump was over 25 feet. Whittington added:

"He saved a 23-month-old child. There's no doubt in our mind that if he had not did what he did when he did it that we would be having a different headline to this story."

The man has been called a "humble hero" by the fire department. After jumping in and saving the toddler, they were both rescued by boaters. 

A lifetime member of the Ocean City Fire Department and senior deputy fire marshal in Worcester county, Rob Korb told the news network how he "stumbled" upon the scene when he was out doing errands that Sunday. He also called the anonymous man a "hero," as he said:

"The real hero in this situation is the good Samaritan that jumped in to provide life saving measures for the infant. I'd like to shake his hand or buy him a beer or both someday."

apost.com

Immediately following the accident and subsequent water rescue, the young girl was flown to John Hopkins Children's Hospital while the seven other people involved in the accident were taken to local hospitals by ambulance, and were all later discharged. 

The incident was an incredibly close call and it's very lucky that nobody got seriously hurt or even died. That's not always the case in car accidents, and as this one took place on a bridge over a bay, there was the extra risk of drowning too.

Thankfully, however, everything was fine in the end. Whittington told CNN:

"For as much tragedy that you see there, the outcome has really been a successful one ... It was a very fortunate day for a lot of people who experienced traumatic injury."

The accident should serve as a warning to people everywhere. Statistics show that 90 people die in car accidents in the U.S. every day, while 2 million people end up with permanent injuries each year. Those figures shouldn't be taken lightly. 

It's unclear whether the young girl was strapped in and wearing her seatbelt properly, but seatbelts literally save lives. It's been shown that seatbelts reduce the risk of death by 45% and cut the risk of serious injury by 50%. Furthermore, those not wearing seatbelts are 30 times more likely to be ejected from a vehicle during a crash.

Stay alert, drive within the speed limit, and drive safely. If we all took a little more care on the road, then possibly some accidents could be averted. 

What a truly humble hero. Do you know of a similar heroic story? Be sure to pass this article on to others so the humble hero's good deed can be known.