Gwinnett Daily Post

SUWANEE - A driver was able to escape drowning Friday evening thanks to the fast actions of bystanders and safety workers.

Sometime after 6 p.m. a small, blue, four-door sedan left the roadway and landed in a pond near Richland Parkway and Prosperity Way in Suwanee. Two nearby residents heard the crash and ran to the scene, according to Fire Department spokesman Capt. Thomas Rutledge.

The pair found the car on its roof in about 4 feet of water. Witnesses said one occupant had escaped, but the driver was trapped inside, hanging upside down by his seat belt.

The men quickly lifted the car onto its side, which allowed the driver's head to be raised above the water level, Rutledge said.

The men were joined by two more bystanders and three police officers. Together, the group was able to keep the car on its side and the driver's head out of the water until firefighters arrived to extricate him.

Both of the victims, described by Rutledge as adult males in their late teens, were transported to Gwinnett Medical Center in Lawrenceville with minor injuries.

The bystanders declined media attention Friday night, Rutledge said, but all of the rescuers will be recognized by the Fire Department for bravery at an event in the near future.