Navy Rescuer Saves Woman From Sinking SUV in Virginia Beach

A woman is alive today because four strangers refused to watch her drown.

On a Friday afternoon at Bubba's Restaurant in Virginia Beach, diners heard a crash and saw an SUV sinking into the icy water behind the building. Within seconds, people were running toward the shore.

Jeremy Way, a 17-year Navy veteran and aviation rescue swimmer, was having lunch with a friend when he heard the impact. He immediately emptied his pockets and dove into the frigid water.

"I'd already been taking my phone and my wallet, my knife out of my pocket, and once I confirmed there was a person, I just dove right in," Way said. Three other brave souls followed him into the cold.

When Way reached the SUV, the woman inside was visibly upset and refused to unlock the doors. She told him she didn't want to be there.

"I told her, 'We've all been there, just unlock it,'" Way recalled. He tried to reassure her, but the electronic locks had already failed as water rushed into the vehicle.

People on a nearby dock threw items to help break the windows. The rescuers pounded on the glass as the SUV began its final descent.

One man managed to climb through a broken window and crawl through the entire sinking vehicle to reach the driver. Just as the car went completely underwater, they pulled her free.

Way used his military training to secure the woman in a cross-chest carry and swam her to safety. The entire time, he kept talking to her, offering comfort and reassurance about mental health struggles.

"I was holding her the whole time, trying to console her, tell her that it's OK, like everything happens for a reason, like mental health is no joke," Way said. "We've all been there."

Why This Inspires

Way's Navy motto is "so others may live," but his actions show something deeper. He didn't just rescue someone with his skills. He treated her with compassion in her most vulnerable moment.

The other three rescuers, whose names weren't released, showed the same selfless courage. Way credits one of them as "the real reason she's there."

All three people taken to the hospital, including the driver and two Good Samaritans, were treated for injuries that weren't considered serious. The SUV was pulled from the water hours later.

This marks the second vehicle to end up in the water near Shore Drive in less than two months. But this time, the story ends with a woman getting a second chance, thanks to people who chose action over fear.