Navy Rescue Swimmer Saves Driver Seconds Before SUV Sinks

A Friday lunch at a waterfront restaurant turned into a life-saving rescue when a Navy rescue swimmer happened to be in exactly the right place at the right time.

Jeremy Way was eating at Bubba's on Shore Drive in Virginia Beach when he heard an enormous splash against the windows. A car had driven off the boat ramp and was quickly sinking into the frigid water below.

Without hesitation, Way dove into the 29-degree air and freezing water. "I knew it was going to be cold," he said. "I just dove right in."

When he reached the SUV, the situation grew even more urgent. The trapped driver was panicking and initially refused to unlock the doors. Water poured into the vehicle as Way encouraged her to stay calm while other Good Samaritans worked frantically to break the glass.

Time was running out. The SUV slipped completely underwater just as the group finally managed to free the woman from the vehicle. "She finally came out, and I did what I've always been taught," Way said. "Rescue swimmer techniques."

Dan Baker, a manager at Bubba's, watched the dramatic scene unfold. "These citizens, these heroes, just lifted this person out of the water as the car was gone," he described. "It was crazy. It was surreal."

Everyone involved made it out of the water safely. The driver and two rescuers were taken to a hospital with injuries that were not considered serious, according to police.

Sunny's Take

Way didn't see his actions as extraordinary. He was simply using his training when someone needed help. "I came out to get some lunch," the aviation rescue swimmer explained. "I was here for a reason."

His Navy motto says it all: "So others may live." On that freezing January afternoon in Virginia Beach, those words became reality for one grateful driver and the strangers who refused to let her face that moment alone.

Sometimes the difference between tragedy and triumph is one person willing to jump in.