CAPE CORAL, Florida (WBBH) -- A neighbor became an unexpected hero, diving into water after an elderly woman's car crashed into a pond in the Isles of Porto Vista on Monday.
In an exclusive interview, Michael Gordon told NBC2 he dove in and swam the lady to safety after other residents in the northeast Cape Coral condos called for help.
"By the time I got out to her, the trunk was just about completely underwater," said Gordon. "I saw a bunch of bubbles come up where the car was, and that was the deciding factor."
Gordon, who was on the swim team in his high school days back in New York, didn't hesitate to jump in the pond Monday night despite the murky water surrounded by gator warning signs.
"To get her back to the shore, that was the only thing in my head," said Gordon. "She just popped up just as I was getting to her, and then I grabbed her, I mean, she’s definitely older; she needed assistance."
Neighbors say by the time fire and emergency crews got there, the car was fully submerged. After finding out the lady's dog was also trapped inside, Gordon swam back and tried to rescue the dog too, but neither Gordon nor firefighters could get to the dog in time.
"Unfortunately, couldn’t save the dog," said Santa Rivera, another neighbor. "It was great that he did that. She would’ve been gone, too."
A family member told NBC2 the woman is still recovering in the hospital but was doing much better Tuesday. The family wanted to thank Gordon and all the first responders who rushed to the scene.
Cape Coral police are still investigating how the car drove into the water.
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