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Good Samaritans pull Sanford woman from sinking car

SANFORD, Fla. — A group of good Samaritans pulled a woman from her car just before it sank into a Sanford retention pond.

At around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Cynthia Garza, 35, called Seminole County 911 dispatchers and said she had driven her 2012 Nissan into a retention pond.

As Garza's car was filling with water, and she was trying to describe to 911 dispatchers where she was, a group of good Samaritans in a flatbed truck backed the truck into the water and pulled Garza from the car and onto the bed of the truck.
Almost immediately after Garza was pulled to safety, the car sank into the pond.

"We put her on the flat be and she touched her feet on the ground and took two steps the car was gone," said Brad Rupert, one of the men who saved Garza.

Garza was alone in the car at the time of the accident.

"I dropped my kids off home actually, because I wanted to take the car to the shop, and if I hadn't dropped them off they would still be in the car with me," said Garza.

During the 911 call, Garza told dispatchers the car had been "pulling" and she was taking it to a repair shop.

"My car was having some issues where it was shaking a lot and it jerked off the road," said Garza.

Garza, who said she cannot swim, said she was grateful for those who came to her aid.

"They definitely deserve every gift, every blessing, every wonderful thing in life, because they didn't have to stop," said Garza.

A Seminole County Sheriff's Department helicopter flew over the pond at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Country Club Road, and captured the rescue on video.