“Most Intense Rescue I've Ever Done”

A vehicle carrying three people flipped on wet roads in Walnut Creek Sunday night. 

One person died in the submerged vehicle. Two others made it out of the car and were seen floating down stream.  One of them is presumed dead this morning, the other is only alive thanks to a very dramatic rescue.

A California Highway Patrol officer called it "the most intense rescue that I've ever done."      

Around 6:15 p.m., a vehicle overturned and went into a canal  near the 600 block of South Broadway.

A CHP helicopter was called to the area after witnesses saw a man  floating facedown in the canal.

But before they could retrieve his body, the helicopter  was diverted to rescue a woman who had floated all the way to Treat Boulevard, which is two miles from the scene of the crash.

She had been in the water for about 25 minutes when the helicopter hoisted a rescue swimmer near the canal and lowered him near the woman. As the swimmer entered the  water, the woman went underwater and disappeared.

She popped back up even further down stream where the aerial rescuer was able to reach her and hoist her to shore.

Water was going about 25 mph in the canal during the rescue  with large logs striking the rescue swimmer as he was trying to reach the  woman.  The rescuer "went above and beyond" what is expected in a  normal rescue.

Emergency crews say the victim was in cardiac arrest when they got to her, but they were able to bring her back to life before taking her to John Muir Medical Center.

She was listed in critical condition.

The body of the other passenger has not been located as of Monday morning.

Bay City News contributed to this report.

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