In Isle of Palms, South Carolina, two good Samaritans are being praised for their quick actions after rescuing a ride-share driver whose car plunged into Morgan Creek during a rainstorm. The dramatic rescue, captured on a marina security camera, unfolded just after 9 p.m. on Saturday (August 23) at the Isle of Palms Marina. Heavy rain obscured the driver’s vision, causing him to mistake the marina parking lot for a boat ramp.
The driver, Peter Giusti, was making his last stop of the night when his car suddenly submerged into the creek. “I say I’m okay, but I can’t get it out of my head,” Giusti told WCBD, expressing gratitude to the rescuers who saved his life. One of the rescuers, Robert Heaton, jumped over a railing into the water, while his friend Brandon ran down the boat ramp to help.
Both men managed to pull Giusti from the car before it was fully submerged. “The first thing I was saying to him is, ‘take your seatbelt off,'” Heaton recalled. “We both were underneath the water. I was trying to hold his head up and actively reach for the actual seatbelt.” Giusti was taken to a hospital and treated for minor injuries.
The Isle of Palms Police Department expressed gratitude for the heroic actions of the rescuers, emphasizing the dangers of driving during severe weather conditions. Police Chief Kevin Cornett stated, “Water can quickly obscure where the roadway ends and make it difficult to gauge depths.”
Giusti hopes to meet his rescuers for dinner to thank them personally. He also suggested placing a sign or signal at the marina to prevent similar incidents in the future.
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