Bystanders Rescue Elderly Medford Woman from Arlington Pond- Updated
Story Updated 4:58 PM Saturday, October 15, 2016
– Allison Goldsberry
Three bystanders came to the rescue after a 68-year-old Medford woman accidentally backed her car into Spy Pond in Arlington.
According to a statement from Arlington Police, the woman was trying to back into a parking spot on Linwood Circle around 1:00 PM Friday afternoon. Three bystanders jumped into the water and pulled out the woman, who was conscious and alert. Police say she was cold but otherwise unhurt.
Two of the bystanders spoke to The Boston Globe about their actions.
Police identified the three good Samaritans as David Frasier, 54, of Boxford; Cesar Perozo, 41, of Stoneham; and Ken Chapman, 67, of Sydney, Australia
Frasier told The Globe he riding his bicycle on the nearby Minuteman bike path when he heard squealing tires and splashing water.
“As the car started to go down, I saw a woman slamming on the passenger window,†The Globe quoted him as saying during a Newton news conference.
The Globe reported that Frazier said he dived into the pond as the vehicle rapidly sank with the driver trapped inside.
Frazier said he first tried to pull the woman through an open window. When that didn’t work, the woman grabbed onto a cushion, and Frazier was able to drag her from the vehicle, he told The Globe.
About 25 yards from the shore, his friend, Kenneth Chapman, who is visiting from Sydney, Australia, pulled the woman to shore.
Arlington police identified the driver as Helen Joyce, who faces no criminal charges in the incident, according to a news release. Town police are making an immediate threat notification to the Registry of Motor Vehicles, which triggers a review into her ability to drive safely.
The Cambridge Police dive team assisted as a precautionary measure to make sure the submerged car was empty. Cambridge Police also helped remove the car from the pond.
“I commend the teamwork and courage of everyone involved in this incident, from the rescuers who fearlessly ran into the water to our officers and firefighters who executed the car removal today,” Chief Fred Ryan said in a release. “In a week filled with tragic news, and as our brother officers from Boston fight for their lives, this happy ending was more than welcome.”
The incident remains under investigation by the Arlington Police Department.
Arlington Police released the following unedited video of the rescue:
UNEDITED: Bystanders rush to help woman after she accidentally drove vehicle into Spy Pond in Arlington Description from John Guilfoil Public Relations on Vimeo.
Information from YourArlington.com was used in this report.