Cops arrived to pull out Jeep submerged in lake for hours — then made a baffling discovery inside it
Calling out something unusual can often result in something beneficial. While the entire picture might not be clear to us, even a small whiff that something is wrong can accelerate the process of clarifying the situation and helping out. A fisherman, Justin Pennington, did his part when he noticed something unusual, per Inside Edition. He alerted the authorities after spotting a black jeep in a large lake in Marion County, Texas, NPR reported. Officers from the Marion County Sheriff's Office arrived at the scene to get the vehicle out and conduct a further investigation.
The officers took around 18 minutes to get to the scene after the call. The towing truck and services took even longer to arrive. Sharing in a post on Facebook, the department noted that they had no other leads on what had happened. Captain Chuck Rogers, an investigator at the Marion County Sheriff's Office, explained, "We do not know how long the Jeep was in the water.” After nearly half an hour, the fisherman who made the call joined the officers and servicemen to get the submerged car out of the lake. While they were under the impression that they were securing a car out of the water, they were surprised to find something even more distressing.
A woman, who has not been identified, was alive inside the car. “I never thought anyone would have been in there,” the fisherman said. He added that because the windows were down, he thought the person might have gotten out of the vehicle. The urgency of this case soon increased and the priority was now to get her out of the water and provide medical assistance. “She wasn’t saying anything but was conscious because she was moving,” Pennington recalled. Pictures from the post captured the officers and others helping pull the woman out of the submerged car into their boat.
"During the incident, it was determined the woman was listed as a missing person from the Longview, Texas Police Department," the post mentioned. She had reportedly been missing for hours earlier. The officers quickly called the EMS and moved her to a hospital for further treatment. Given the fragility of the case, the authorities were unable to release any more information on the woman and the investigation. The officers also mentioned that there seemed to be no suspicious elements about the case.
It is a stroke of luck that the woman survived the mishap, as there was no telling how long she had been in the water. “We don’t know how many hours she’d been in there but it was long enough that you’d think someone wouldn’t be alive,” Pennington said. The report mentioned that an air pocket is what likely kept her alive throughout the ordeal. Several people commended the heroic fishermen and the authorities for responding in due time and saving her life. Kimberly Morgan-Bates said, “What a blessing she was found in time.” Debby Meisenheimer added, “Amazing! So glad she was saved!” Michael G McRae Sr. noted, “Awesome job, officers and everyone that helped save this lady.”