Video: Fla. Deputies Save Elderly Driver after Retention Pond Crash

Two St. Johns County sheriff's deputies shattered a window and pulled an elderly man to safety after he accidentally drove his car into a retention pond outside a library branch.
Source Officer.com News
Dec. 23, 2025
2 min read

What to know

  • St. Johns County sheriff’s deputies broke a vehicle window Nov. 18 to rescue an elderly driver trapped in a sinking car after it crashed into a retention pond outside a library.

  • Deputies forced entry when doors would not open, pulled the driver from the water and turned him over to medics for treatment of minor cuts and bruises.

  • Deputies said quick action under hazardous water conditions was critical to the successful rescue.

St. Johns County, FL, Sheriff's Office
St. Johns County, FL, sheriff's deputies make a dramatic water rescue.

Body camera footage captured two St. Johns County sheriff's deputies saving an elderly man who accidentally drove his car into a retention pond outside a library branch last month.

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Florida deputies shattered a car window in order to get a door open and save an elderly man who was trapped inside the sinking vehicle as it sank into a retention pond last month.

The rescue happened Nov. 18 when St. Johns County sheriff's deputy raced to a report of a vehicle that had crashed into a retention pond outside a library branch, the agency stated in an online news release. The elderly driver had accidentally driven into the water and couldn't escape the vehicle.

"We approached the vehicle, and we initially broke the window because at first, we couldn't get the door open," Deputy Jeremiah Foster told WTLV-TV. "We made entry to the door, then after that we were able to retrieve the subject and then bring him out of the water safely."

The deputies were able to pull the driver onto land, where medics treated him for minor cuts and bruises.

“You start thinking about the water, the conditions, things like that, but in reality, no amount of training could prepare you for the exact actions you take as long as you're taking actions to try to help this person,” Deputy Eddy Monduy told WLTV.

This wasn't the first time Monduy was involved in a dramatic rescue as a deputy. In 2024, he helped prevent a man from jumping off a bridge.

“My son thinks I’m a hero, and I hope one day, when he’s a man himself, he will also dive in the water, whether he’s wearing this uniform or not, and put other people first to help them,” said Monduy.

About the Author

Joe Vince
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Joe Vince

Joining Endeavor Business Media in 2018, Joe has worked on the company's city services publications. He began working at OFFICER.com as the assistant editor. Before starting at Endeavor, Joe had worked for a variety of print and online news outlets, including the Indianapolis Star, the South Bend Tribune, Reddit and Patch.com.
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