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A Salt Lake City police officer's body camera captured firefighters and other first responders saving two teens trapped in a submerged car over the weekend.
The accident happened at about 11 p.m. Saturday near Indiana Avenue and Delong Street, according to the police department. A woman was driving with four children—ages 2, 15, 16 and 17—when she lost control of the vehicle, and it crashed upside down in the Jordan Surplus Canal.
The woman and the two oldest teens were able to escape the sinking car. The two youngest children, however, remained trapped inside the vehicle.
Salt Lake City police were first to arrive at the scene, and four officers ran into the canal to try to save the children. One officer tried diving under the water several times to get into the car through a window, but the murkiness of the water prevented it.
Once the Salt Lake City Fire crews reached the scene, several firefighters stripped off their gear and dove into the canal to try to rescue the children. One firefighter used his SCBA gear to pull the 2-year-old from the water, police said.
Both children were brought to land, where paramedics were able to resuscitate them. They were then taken in critical condition to the hospital, where the 15-year-old boy died from his injuries Monday, KTVX-TV reports.
“The rescue of these two children illustrates the dedication of Salt Lake City’s public safety employees. The immediate action of both SLCPD and SLCFD brought both children out of the water and to awaiting medical care,” Police Chief Karl Lieb said in a statement. “Anything less would not have given these kids even a chance of survival. This is what we do. And I am exceedingly proud of our team’s commitment to preserving life – even at great risk to our own.”
