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Photographer saves woman after car ends up submerged in water

Posted at 2:55 PM, Jan 12, 2017
and last updated 2017-01-12 15:15:13-05

Indianapolis, IN -- As a photojournalist, Greg Dunn is used to covering the news. He isn't used to making it.

Dunn found himself at the center of the story Wednesday morning after a car ended up in the Broad Ripple canal near Park Avenue and Westfield Boulevard.

Dunn was driving Wednesday morning when he heard a "bumping" sound. That was the sound of the car behind him hitting the curb and going into the water. The car ended up submerged upside down. He stopped and took action.

"I tossed my phone to another lady and told her to call 911," Dunn said. "Against my better judgment, I climbed down the side of the canal and got into the water. As I was climbing down, I started to hear her scream, and it scared the heck out of me."

Dunn said he took it "one step at a time" to get into the water and help the stranded woman. The car's back window was busted; he reached in, grabbed her hand and helped her to safety.

"I don't know how I did it, really. She was soaking wet and scared out of her mind," Dunn said. "I just did a story with ISP on how to help people out of cold water. Their first tip was to get your head about you. So I just tried to force her to look at me and try to not be so hysteric. I tried to calm her down, and I half-carried her. She sort of stumbled when we got back to shore. Two ladies who stopped behind me were able to reach down and grab her, and I pushed her up."

Dunn said the woman wanted to call her husband because she was so scared about what happened. Dunn and other witnesses put coats around her to keep her warm. He said she didn't appear to have any serious injuries after the crash.

By the time paramedics arrived, she had calmed down.

Dunn is all too familiar with how dangerous frigid water can be. His mother, Miae Dunn, died in 2007 after trying to save their family dog, Foster, from an icy lake behind their home. The dog survived and actually lives with the photojournalist now.