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Flagler County deputy saves toddler, grandmother from sinking car crashed in ditch

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Updated  January 17, 2024 10:44am EST
FOX 35 Care Force
FOX 35 Orlando

Deputies save grandma, child from sinking car

Deputies in Flagler County were honored with a FOX 35 Care Force award for rescuing a grandmother and a child from a sinking car.

FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. - A grandmother and a toddler were pulled from a sinking car and it was all caught on camera in Flagler County.

Their car crashed along State Road 100 in a rural area. FOX 35’s Amanda McKenzie presented one of the responding deputies with the FOX 35 Care Force Award.

In an exclusive interview, he spoke about what happened as he and his partner sprang into action.

In the body camera footage, Deputy Jennifer Prevatt can be heard saying, "She's in water. Is the baby above water? She's above water. Is the baby above water?"

A little girl and her injured grandmother were struggling to stay above water in their sinking car.

Prevatt said, "we got a kid in here, and we got this baby's head is barely above water."

"Flagler County deputies nearby responded and found the crashed car on its side in a drainage ditch.

The little girl was not responding to deputies.

Deputy David Lichyty said at the time, "Sweetie. Hey. Are you okay?"

Lichty broke the back window to get her out and handed her to a paramedic.

"There's the baby," Lichty said. "Get her out. Come on."

Then the deputies and paramedics got to work on getting her grandmother out. 

FOX 35 recognized Deputy Lichty with the FOX35 Care Force Award as he shared for the first time what it was like during that rescue.

"When my partner and I, Deputy Jennifer Prevatt, got there, we got on top of the car, and we could see the grandmother in the front seat – she was severely bloody and very injured, and we could see the baby in the backseat still in her car seat – her nose about an inch off the water," he said.

The family was rushed to the hospital to be treated. 

Lichty credits his camera-shy partner and the paramedics, like Lt. Nick Kulov of the Palm Coast Fire Rescue, for saving two lives. "Everyone knew we had one mission and one goal to get all people out of the vehicle and the care that they needed," Lt. Kulov said.

FHP is investigating the crash and said the family is recovering.