Two NAS Pensacola Sailors Credited With Saving Driver After High-Speed Creek Crash

March 18, 2026

Two Navy sailors are being credited for saving the life of a driver who crashed into an Escambia County creek on Sunday.

The Florida Highway Patrol reported that a 37-year-old man was traveling east in the westbound lanes of Highway 98 at a high rate of speed. After running a red light, the vehicle crashed through a fence and into Bayou Chico Creek, where it became completely submerged.

Two sailors assigned to Naval Aviation Schools Command at Naval Air Station Pensacola witnessed the crash and immediately rendered aid. One sailor jumped from a boardwalk into the water and heard the driver knocking on the windows. He broke through the sunroof, pulled the driver from the submerged vehicle, and brought him to shore. The second sailor then began rendering first aid until Escambia EMS arrived.

The first sailor swam back and reentered the vehicle to ensure no other passengers were inside. He was later treated at a local hospital for injuries sustained during the rescue.

FHP said that the driver suffered a medical emergency that led to the crash. He was transported to Baptist Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Photos courtesy FHP for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Comments





Have a comment on this story?

We welcome your comments on this story, but there are some rules to follow::

(1) Be Nice. No comments that slander another, no racism, no sexism, no personal attacks.

(2) No Harrassing Comments. If someone says something bad about you, don't respond. That's childish.

(3) No Libel. That's saying something is not true about someone. Don't do it.

(4) Keep it clean. Nothing vulgar, obscene or sexually related. No profanity or obvious substitutions. Period.

(5) NorthEscambia.com reserves the right to remove any comments that violate our rules or we think to be inappropriate. We are not responsible for what is posted. Comments may not appear right away until they are approved by a moderator.

(6) Limit your comments to the subject in this story only, and limit comments to 300 words or less. Do not post copyrighted material. Comments will not be added to stories that are over 30 days old.

(7) No posts may advertise a commercial business, political candidate or political group, or link to another commercial web site or political site of any kind.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under FRONT TOP 

  NEfb