Two young men and a firefighter helped rescue a woman and revive her husband after their pickup truck broke through a fence and entered a pond in Brazos County, according to KBTX News 3.
The crash occurred around 10:30 a.m. Aug. 28 on Long Trussel Road near the Navasota River. State troopers said Jim Hesse of Iola was driving a 2014 Ram 1500 when he lost control. His wife, Shirley Nallie-Hesse, was also in the truck, which went underwater.
The family said Shirley, who cannot swim, escaped through the rear window and struggled to stay on the truck. She held onto a spare tire that floated from the vehicle and called for assistance while the pickup carrying her husband disappeared below the surface.
Garrett Mallett, 16, and Cooper Matthews, 19, stopped after several vehicles had passed, according to Shirley’s daughter, Mikal Nallie. The two entered the pond and tried to remove Jim from the submerged truck. When they could not free him, they helped Shirley get to shore.
First responders later removed Jim from the pickup and performed CPR, reviving him before he was taken to a hospital. He died from his injuries two days later. Shirley was also transported to a hospital, though the report did not provide an update on her condition.
