The bystander swam to the vehicle and opened a rear door as it went under.
STUART, Fla. — A pregnant woman was rescued from a sinking car along Interstate 95 in Florida after a passing boater-in-training dove into a pond, swam to the vehicle and pulled her out moments before it slipped fully underwater, officials and witnesses said.
The dramatic rescue unfolded Fri., Feb. 6, after the woman’s vehicle left the roadway near a weigh station in Martin County and ended up in a pond. Fire-rescue officials said the car became fully submerged. The woman was rushed to a hospital, and her fiancé later told a local TV station she gave birth within hours of the crash. Officials have not released her name or updated the conditions of the mother and baby.
Martin County Fire Rescue said crews were sent to a “harrowing” scene near the 112-mile marker on I-95 at about 8 a.m. after reports of a car in the water. By the time rescue teams arrived, a driver who witnessed the crash had already gone in. The bystander, Logan Hayes, told WPBF-TV he was driving to work when he saw a vehicle in the pond and realized it was still moving as it sank. He said he tossed aside his hat and clothes, ran a few steps and dove into the water without waiting for help to arrive.
Hayes said the car was already low in the pond when he reached it. He swam about 30 feet from shore and found only one door that he could get to. “The back passenger door was the only door that was still enough above water,” he told the station. Hayes said he opened the rear door and saw the driver panicking as water poured inside. He said he told her to climb toward him, then coached her through the flooded cabin as the vehicle tilted and rolled deeper into the pond.
According to the fire-rescue account, Hayes pulled the woman free before the vehicle was “completely lost under the water.” He told WPBF he guided her out through the rear opening as the car continued to sink. Once she was out, he swam her back toward shore. Hayes said he did not initially know the woman was pregnant. He noticed it as he towed her back to land. On shore, he said, people rushed in with towels, blankets and spare clothing to warm her.
Fire-rescue officials said paramedics took over at the water’s edge and provided immediate care. The woman was then transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. Another local report described her injuries as serious and said she was taken to a trauma center. Officials did not say whether she was conscious when crews arrived, what injuries she suffered, or how far along she was in her pregnancy.
A specialized rescue dive team was also sent to the site. The team entered the pond to check the submerged vehicle and confirm there were no other occupants trapped inside, officials said. Divers also assisted with the search and scene recovery as the car sat underwater near the edge of the interstate. Fire-rescue officials did not say when the vehicle would be removed or what condition it was in when recovered.
The crash remained under investigation, and authorities had not released details about why the vehicle left the roadway. Officials did not provide information about weather conditions at the time, whether the driver was wearing a seat belt, or whether alcohol, speed or mechanical issues were suspected. The location described by responders was near the I-95 weigh station area, where drainage ponds and roadside water features sit close to the highway.
Hayes, who works on a private sport-fishing boat, told the station he has spent years in the water and has helped people in other situations near shore. Still, he said the sinking-car rescue felt different because the vehicle was moving and filling with water. “I was just kind of dumbfounded,” he said, describing the moment he realized he was the only person close enough to reach the driver in time. He said he felt shocked that he happened to be driving past at the exact moment the crash occurred.
Emergency responders praised the quick action shown by the bystander and the coordination at the scene. In its statement, the agency called him a “Good Samaritan” and said his willingness to act helped save a life. The rescue also highlighted how quickly vehicles can sink in deep water. Fire officials have long warned that windows and doors can become harder to open as pressure builds, leaving only seconds for an escape once water reaches the cabin.
Later that day, Hayes said he heard from the woman’s fiancé, who thanked him for stepping in. The fiancé told him she delivered her baby at HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce just hours after the rescue, Hayes told WPBF. He described the message as the moment the weight of what happened truly hit him. Officials did not confirm the birth or share additional medical details, and the family’s names were not publicly released.
The rescue drew attention across the Treasure Coast as video and photos from the scene circulated online. In the images shared by fire-rescue officials, the pond sat just off the interstate shoulder, with emergency vehicles lined up near the roadway. Divers could be seen entering the water in protective gear while paramedics worked nearby. For commuters, the scene was a reminder of how a routine morning drive can turn into an emergency in an instant.
For Hayes, the moment has been replaying in his mind, he said. He told the station he kept thinking about the position of the car and the one door he could reach. If that rear door had been fully underwater, he said, he does not know what he would have done. He credited the people on shore who helped keep the woman warm and the rescue crews who moved quickly once they arrived.
Officials said the investigation would determine what led to the crash and whether any citations would be issued. No court dates or public briefings were announced. The fire-rescue agency said it would provide updates if additional information became available from the incident report and hospital transport record.
As of Tue., Feb. 10, officials had not released the woman’s identity or confirmed the conditions of the mother and newborn. The next milestone is expected to be the completion of the crash report and the recovery documentation for the vehicle from the pond.
Author note: Last updated February 10, 2026.