The Florida man is known for his wild and crazy antics that often give the state a blackeye.
But a pair of residents of the Sunshine State went above and beyond the call of duty.
And Florida men went on a rescue mission after the worst happened with a truck crash.
Two Florida teenagers rescue man from a truck that crashed into a canal
Teenagers, often deservedly, get a bad rap these days for being self-absorbed.
But a pair of fearless teens in Florida saved a man’s life with their bravery.
Tony Cooper and his friend Elijah Hodge were at a restaurant in Broward County, Florida having fun when the worst possible scenario unfolded in front of their eyes.
A driver lost control of his Toyota truck and swerved off the road into a nearby canal where the vehicle began to sink.
The canals that connect the waterways in Florida are home to alligators.
Cooper and Hodge watched the truck begin to sink below the surface of the water when they sprang into action.
“We rushed and took off our shoes and stuff,” Cooper told Miami news WSVN. “We literally jumped on the hood and then we took off the seat belt and then we pulled them out. I started screaming at him because he was heavy while he was in the car. We are screaming, he woke up, we helped him get out of the car, and after that, he was on the hood and then we pulled him onto the grass.”
The 13-year-old heroes rushed into action without any hesitation.
Broward County deputies and North Lauderdale Fire Rescue arrived on the scene and took the unnamed man to a local hospital where he was reportedly in stable condition.
The man told first responders that “a juvenile reached for his hand and assisted him to the embankment.”
Dorothy Borgelin witnessed the crash and the teenager’s rescue.
“Sure enough, I saw there was a car–a pickup truck–that was going under the water,” Borgelin recalled. “Then there were two kids, they were on the other side, and then they just jumped into the water. One of them went on top of the hood and the other one was in the water, trying to pull the man out. They did an amazing job to save the man’s life.”
Florida teenagers honored for their heroism after rescue
North Lauderdale Mayor Samson Borgelin recognized Cooper and Hodge for their bravery in rescuing the driver from the canal.
“I am incredibly proud of these young citizens and their heroic efforts,” Borgelin said. “I will be reaching out to them and their families to formally recognize their bravery.”
North Lauderdale city officials are planning on honoring the pair at a city commission meeting.
A 7News Miami viewer, Nancy, was moved by the story and gave them each a $250 reward for the rescue.
“I just want to say thank you from my heart,” Nancy told them. “I’m just so proud of you boys.”
“Thank you,” Cooper and Hodge said.
Tony Cooper and Elijah Hodge did not hesitate to try and save the life of the driver facing the worst after his crash.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.
