MARTIN COUNTY, FL– The Martin County Sheriff’s Office is reporting that an app on a victim’s phone helped them find helped the victim after he became trapped in his submerged vehicle.
The incident occurred on Wednesday around 1:00 a.m. on a remote county road in Indiantown.
The Sheriff’s office says the victim was traveling down the dark road when he was forced to swerve his vehicle to avoid hitting a wild hog.
The vehicle ended up overturned in alligator-infested waters.
Authorities say they then received an automated distress call from the victim’s cellphone with the latitude and longitude of the crash site.
“That phone application saved him of what could have been more catastrophic,” Chief Deputy Budensiek said about the application that iPhones and most Androids have.
Deputies arrived and located the vehicle and heard the man’s cries for help.
They immediately jumped into action despite the danger of encountering an alligator.
“In a canal that I know has alligators in it, but they jumped in without regard for themselves for their own safety,” Chief Deputy John Budensiek said.
Three deputies worked together to release the victim from the vehicle.
Paramedics assisted after the victim was pulled from the water.
The victim was taken to an area hospital where he is expected to recover.