Group of teens on their way to fishing spot help save man who drove into Ohio River

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE/Gray News) - A group of teenagers in Kentucky are being called heroes after they helped save a man who had driven into the Ohio River Monday evening.

The teens told WAVE they were headed to the Greenwood Boat Ramp to fish, something they said they do together all the time.

When they got to the location, they said a crowd of people was rushing toward the ramp, which was supposed to be closed.

That’s when they knew something was wrong.

The group arrived just in time to see a car being pulled into the Ohio River’s current.

The Louisville Metro Police Department initially said the crash may have happened due to the driver suffering a medical emergency. In an update on Tuesday, police said they now believe the crash was caused by a mechanical failure.

“Like it was fast. It was crazy fast,” Abraham Cruz said. The 17-year-old was one of three teenagers whose fishing trip quickly turned into a rescue mission.

“Some other people went and got a rope, and when they were getting the rope, I jumped in and got like right around here, as it was 10 feet away from the car,” Kenay Valdez said, motioning to the river. “He untied the rope, threw it at me. I wrapped it around my arm, swam a little bit, tied it on the rear side of the car, and that’s when he pulled it.”

The person on the other end of the rope was 15-year-old Jacob Cruz. He said he “just wanted to help,” as he took the rope, pulling the car and tying it to a nearby tree. His brother, Abraham Cruz, had already jumped in the water, pulling the man out of the car as water continued to pour inside.

“We didn’t really understand how it got here. It was weird,” Abraham said. “We didn’t expect a car to move that easily. So that’s when we were like, ‘That was something.’”

The evidence of that unbelievable effort is still stuck on the Ohio River banks. The driver, however, is safe and alive, and the boys now have a story for the ages.

The teens said knowing they saved someone’s life “feels good.”

“I mean, I didn’t get to fish,” Valdez said. “Didn’t catch anything. But we caught a car.”

First responders with the police department and Fire and Rescue responded around 6:20 p.m.

Aaron Ellis, a spokesperson with the police department, said the response time was within minutes of the call, but the teens had already jumped into action at that point.

First responders gave the driver medical attention before taking him to Audubon Hospital to be checked out. The driver is expected to survive, according to police.

The police department is handling the ongoing investigation and thanked the young men for their involvement.

Editor’s Note: It was originally reported that the driver may have suffered a medical emergency. Louisville Police said on April 22 that the crash was caused by a mechanical failure. Video attached does not reflect the update.

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