WARNING: UNEDITED VIDEO CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE

This video shows a woman driving into the river on March 21, 2017. According to MyStateLine.com, "in her effort to escape, the impaired driver, Ember Hall, crashed into the Kishwaukee River." The video was released two days ago and shows two officers risking there lives in freezing cold temperatures to save the driver.

Officers Joe McDermott and Ryan Davenport were the first on scene. "I didn't really have much time to think, besides...getting these people out of there," McDermott told MyStateLine.com, remembering the incident. "I started breathing hard, and my chest was getting tight, seeing them sinking in the van like that."

What they didn't know at the time was that an infant was in the vehicle as it was filling up with water from the river.

"Hearing that baby scream, it was haunting," Davenport told MyStateLine.com. "It was very dark out. When I swam up, he [McDermott] handed the baby off," Davenport says. "I did my best to keep her out of the water. I was able to hand her off to another officer on scene."

Both officers were honored by the American Red Cross for their heroic efforts.

 

 

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