A group of women on a recent weekend road trip in Georgia can now add “lifesaver” to their resume.
Five University of Georgia students are being honored as heroes for their actions during last weekend’s dramatic events.
Eleanor Cart, Caitlin Ianas, Clark Jones, Jane McArdle, and Molly McCollum were traveling from Athens to Savannah for the St. Patrick’s Day festival weekend.
After turning along Murray Hill Road in Burke County, a group of sisters from the sorority Kappa Alpha Theta approached the Briar Creek Bridge when they saw something strange.
McCollum told Fox 5 Atlanta that he saw a cloud of dust under the bridge along with a flash of white light.
“We kind of pulled over really fast, turned around, and drove down this hill to the boat dock, and then we saw this white minivan in the water.” she said.
McCollum told FOX News Digital that he was initially shocked by what he was seeing and knew he had to intervene and help.
“I also understood at that moment. [that] “If I hadn’t stepped in and done something about the situation at hand, I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself,” she said.
The young women jumped out of the car and rushed towards the three passengers.
According to Online Athens, “Two of the women immediately went into the water to take the victim to safety, while the others gathered supplies and contacted emergency responders.” About.
“I saw the mother jump out of the car…We were just tagging along and trying to get the kids out of the water,” McCollum told FOX 5 Atlanta.
The college student said that in addition to the mother, there were two other children in the back seat of the car, one of whom was about 4 years old.
“He was totally under the belt.”[water] …I think about it for about four or five minutes,” she said.
One student called 911, while another student tested life-saving techniques by performing CPR on one of the children.
Jones said it was a “worst situation,” but somehow within a minute the child started responding.
“It was so surreal. I mean, the mother went to pick up her child and we all looked at each other and immediately started sobbing,” Jones said.
The Burke County Sheriff’s Office said all three survivors of the incident were taken to the hospital and released the next day.
McCollum told Fox News Digital she was grateful that she and friends were able to provide assistance to the family.
“I think we are always able to be in the right place at the right time to help others,” she said.
She continued, “While the car submersion was a unique disaster, there are always people around us who are struggling. I am grateful for this constant opportunity for us to lift each other up. If we can align, we can achieve results as impactful as disaster relief.”
The five women who participated in the rescue were honored by the University of Georgia for their heroism in saving lives.
“We are so proud of these heroic students and their exemplary acts of courage and teamwork,” UGA President Jere W. Morehead said in a press release.
All five first-year students will be recognized for their fearlessness and courage at this year’s Kappa Alpha Theta Grand Convention.
In a Facebook post, the Sardis Police Department wrote that the five young women “didn’t hesitate to go into the water and begin helping the occupants out of the vehicle when they saw the accident occur.” These five young women were the main factors in allowing the occupants to exit and climb onto the vehicle. ”
He also thanked local emergency services groups for their assistance in rescue operations.
“We would like to especially thank the five students for their selflessness and courageous actions. We often refer to athletes and others as heroes, but these five are the true heroes!!” the ministry added.
“All occupants were conscious and alert when transported from the scene. Please pray for the family!”
