Dramatic lake rescue as 3 are pulled from water

EUSTIS, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Police released body camera video Tuesday of rescue efforts after a van with three elderly people inside got stuck in a retention pond.

Police and deputies jumped into the cold and dark water to pull them out.

"You can never be trained for something like that I don't think," said Deputy Ayla Creech with the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

Creech was the first to get to the scene Friday night in Haselton Village community in Eustis. She says she was at a call across the street when she heard about the crash.

"We saw one individual on the outside of the vehicle and he was saying that there were two other people inside the vehicle that were unable to get out," Creech explained.

Police say it was 62 degrees at the time but without hesitation, Deputy Creech and some Eustis Police officers got in and started swimming.

"Getting in the water, it was extremely cold, it actually would take your breath away," said Eustis Police Cpl. John Fahning.

He and other others worked fast to get everyone out of the van as quickly as possible.

"Ultimately, it seemed like it rested in the only spot it could of where it was able to stay up for just long enough us to get them out. As soon as the tow truck touched it, it fell and it dropped completely underwater," he explained.

Creech is scene on camera, taking one of the passengers to shore.

"She was just nervous. I see the nervous in her eyes and I just told her to hang on to me and I had her - and she trusted me," she told the News Station.

Police say all three people who were in the van got out safely and are doing well.

One of the victims declined an on camera interviewed, but wanted to thank the responders for their actions that night.