It was a harrowing and near-death experience in Pompano Beach late last month for a grandmother and 2-year-old granddaughter after their car plunged into a canal.
It was a harrowing and near-death experience in Pompano Beach late last month for a grandmother and 2-year-old granddaughter after their car plunged into a canal.
The incident happened as they were leaving a Lauderdale Lakes Walmart, where Broward Sheriff's Deputy Andrew Alencar was working an off-duty job.
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WATCH HERE"Well, the evening, I was working a detail job here at the Walmart, and it was the end of my shift, and a lady knocking on the window and say, 'Hey, I heard that this vehicle that just went to the canal,'" Alencar said. "I saw there was a lady and a baby on the back seat of the vehicle, and the vehicle was sinking."
Grandmother Audrey Villieres' blue car was sinking quickly and panic set in for her while instincts kicked in for Alencar.
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"When I reached the vehicle, I realized that I couldn't reach the bottom, so I took a hold on the handle, on the back, on the back door of the vehicle, and I was able to break the window and retrieve the baby," he said. "When I held the baby, it was hard to swim because I couldn't touch the bottom, so I just held the baby above my head. I went down the water. I took a couple steps, I was able to swim him back to shore and I went back, was able to pry the door open and retrieve the lady from inside and swim her back to shore."
Dramatic video of the rescue was released by BSO on Thursday and shows the deputy's heroic actions.
Alencar was rushed to the hospital to be assessed but he was more worried about the child.
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It turned out Villieres and her granddaughter were fine, and they were later reunited with Alencar.
"I'm happy to see him and I'm happy that he's fine and he's okay," Villieres said.
"I'm so happy that he was working at Walmart that day because if he wasn’t working I don’t know what would happen," said the child's mother, Sheree Linton.
"Before being a deputy myself I'm a father, so when I do anything for the community I always picture doing something for my family," Alencar said.
