TITUSVILLE, Fla. — An off-duty Cocoa police officer saved the lives of two people early Wednesday after their car flipped into water.
Investigators say alcohol might have contributed to the crash that ended with two people trapped upside down inside a submerged car.
Cpl. Kenneth Brackin said he knew he had to act fast to get the driver and passenger out.
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The crash happened just before 1 a.m. near Andrew Jackson Middle School in Titusville.
The officer was just about to get into the shower when he heard a loud screeching sound, then a bang.
“It didn't really matter what it took. I was going to get in there and do something,” said Brackin.
Brackin said he jumped into the water, which was about 4 to 5 feet deep. He noticed the victims barely had their heads above the water and remembers the first doors he tried to open wouldn't but finally, one did.
“The first male that I pulled out was so - you know - he was obviously in distress and forgot that he even had anybody else in the car,” Brackin said. “So when I asked if anyone else was there, he's like, 'No it's just me,' and then kind of freaked out that he also had a friend in there.”
Both men made it out OK, and Brackin insists he did nothing extraordinary.
“When you have the opportunity to do something or save a life, you know, you have to go in and do it,” Brackin said.
Titusville police officers started recording video when they arrived right after the rescue.
Investigators believe the 19-year-old driver might have had some drinks before crashing into a nearby hydrant, sending the car airborne into the pond.
Officers said charges are still pending against the driver.
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