An unusual rescue unfolded in Forney after a car plunged into Lake Ray Hubbard on Tuesday afternoon.
Inside the car were three small children and a nanny who officials say was learning to drive.
Part of the heart-pounding rescue was recorded on cell phone video by a neighbor who says he ran outside when he heard screaming around 3:30 p.m.
“I didn’t see anything, and they kept saying, ‘The car! The car!’ Didn’t see a car. Didn’t see streak marks in the street,” said Patrick Johnson.
It wasn’t until Johnson walked down the hill by his house that he saw a white Mercedes sedan floating in Lake Ray Hubbard.
“I could see the lady coming through the sunroof, getting on top of the car. I did not know that the kids were in there,” said Johnson, a retired member of the U.S. Air Force.
Officials say a mother was teaching a nanny how to drive in Travis Ranch when the nanny likely mistook the gas pedal for the brake, hopped the curb at the end of Cosmos Court, and launched into the lake.
Three children, ages one, two, and four, were still strapped inside, said Kaufman County Constable Jason Johnson.
“It’s always nice to teach people to learn how to drive, but it’s better to make sure you’re doing it in a safe area, and please make sure you do not have children in the car,” said Constable Johnson.
Home surveillance video shows the moments before the crash, when the car stops and the driver gets out. Neighbors say the driver and passenger swapped seats.
Constable Johnson says deputies happened to be training nearby and arrived at the scene in seconds.
“They’re the ones that we should thank. They got into the water. They were able to get the kids out of the water and calm them down,” said Patrick Johnson.
Video shows the children being brought to shore, followed by the mom and nanny. The car was pulled out as well, marking the end of a driving lesson gone horribly wrong.
No major injuries were reported.
The accident is under investigation.
