MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A South Florida family is beyond grateful after two adults and two children were rescued from an overturned, partially submerged car over the weekend.
Those two kids are 6-year-old Milan Fernandez and his 8-year-old sister Mia.
“I only remember I was scared and crying because I was thinking there was alligators,” Mia said.
The siblings were in the backseat of their father’s car on Saturday night. He was behind the wheel and their aunt was in the passenger seat.
That aunt told Local 10 News they tried to make a U-turn on a darkened stretch of road near Southwest 268th Street and 119th Avenue when the father lost control of the car.
A witness saw it all unfold on the road that has small canals lining each side.
“It rolled over 3 times and fell into the ditch,” said witness Vivian Machado.
Good Samaritans called police and ran over to help the family who was trapped inside, with the water rising.
“It was so dark, and I was more scared and the water so cold,” Mia said.
Roughly 15 minutes went by before the family was freed thanks to teamwork from officers and witnesses who jumped into action.
“Thank you to the police, angles of God,” said Karina Lucero, the children’s mother who got the frantic call as the rescue was underway.
The children, their father and aunt all escaped without any major injuries.
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