A 19-year-old Putnam County man is being hailed a hero for leaping into a lake to rescue two teenagers who plunged off a dock when the driver lost control of the car and swerved off the road.
Cullen Malzo said heard the accident Thursday afternoon, went outside and, from his driveway, saw the vehicle on its roof in Lake Mahopac. He called 911 and then jumped in the lake to rescue the two young girls.
"I saw the car was flipped upside down about three-fourths of the way in the water," he said.
Malzo said he waded through about 3 to 4 feet of water and mud, stretched his arm through a window that had been broken during the crash and pulled the 17-year-old passenger out.
"I felt one of the girl's arms and I ripped her out of there as hard as I could and then I saw her muddy face and all she said was 'Get my friend," Malzo said.
Malzo dove back in and pulled the 17-year-old driver out and the trio huddled in the muck until police arrived.
Both teenagers were taken to a hospital for evaluation and are expected to be OK.
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One of the girls, Julia Brower, said she quickly thanked Malzo for his heroism.
"I went up to him in my blanket and said 'Thank you," she said.
Police say there was no sign drugs or alcohol were involved in the accident, but they said the driver was speeding on North Lake Boulevard when she lost control of the car. It veered all the way across the road, crashed through a telephone pole, then drove over the dock before coming to rest in the lake.
