Man Dies After Rescuing Daughter From Car In Indianapolis Pond

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Indianapolis Fire Department officials say a man rescued from an area retention pond Sunday after rescuing his daughter has died from his injuries. IFD says 24-year-old Anthony Burgess Jr. rescued his 3-year-old daughter after their car rolled into the pond and was able to get her out as the car went under water. According to IFD, the young girl is in critical but stable condition at Riley Hospital, however her father was pronounced dead just after 11:30 p.m. Sunday.

In a release sent to Patch, fire department officials say witnesses said Burgess parked the car Sunday and got out to speak with a friend at an apartment and IFD says he told his daughter to get back in the car when she tried to follow him.

That's when, according to IFD, the girl apparently hit the gear shift accidentally while climbing across the front seat, causing the car to start rolling backwards toward the pond.

IFD says just as the Burgess reached the apartment door, he turned around and saw the car roll into the pond. He and the friend he was visiting, 28-year-old Bobby Malone, ran to the pond and jumped in, both not knowing how to swim. Malone soon went back to shore as the freezing water was a threat, while Burgess rescued his daughter before the car submerged. IFD says a 30-year-old man swam out to help and took the girl to shore before trying to go back and get Burgess. However, also not knowing how to swim, IFD says the man returned to shore.

According to officials, that man was hypothermic and was taken to St. Vincent Hospital by IEMS to be checked out, telling firefighters he has no idea how he did what he did, because he doesn’t know how to swim.

IFD says once rescue crews arrived, a witness was able to tell divers exactly where he saw Burgess go down in the water and because of his willingness to stay on scene and provide dive crews with information, he was able to place divers on top of the man within one minute of their time in the water. IFD says crews found the father about 20 feet down and brought him to the surface.

Although IFD reports the father had a pulse around 5:30 p.m. Sunday, he died later that night. They praise him for bravely entering the water and saving his daughter.

More information: @IFD_NEWS

Photo credit: Indianapolis Fire Department