A Florida man’s quick thinking and selfless act of bravery saved a pregnant woman from a sinking car in a frigid pond earlier this month, an event that unfolded just hours before she safely delivered her baby girl. The rescue, which occurred on February 6th in Port St. Lucie, Florida, has been hailed as miraculous by medical personnel and the woman’s family.
Sheldy Apollon, 34 weeks pregnant and suffering from pre-eclampsia, was on her way to a prenatal massage – a gift from her fiancé – when she began to feel dizzy, according to an interview with WPTV. After briefly stopping to rest, the dizziness persisted, and as she attempted to pull over again, her vehicle unexpectedly veered into a pond. “I started to feel some water on my feet, so I started to panic a little,” Apollon told WPTV.
Logan Hayes, a resident of nearby Sebastian, witnessed the car enter the water while running errands. Without hesitation, and despite the water temperature being in the low 40s Fahrenheit and an active cold weather advisory in effect, Hayes dove into the pond to attempt a rescue.
Hayes found that the only accessible door was the rear passenger side, as all others were submerged. He encountered a frantic Apollon in the driver’s seat, who asked how to escape. Hayes urged her to join him, and she climbed between the front seats into the back of the car as it began to tilt further, allowing water to rush in. He then helped her swim approximately 50 feet to shore, according to reports from WPBF and WPTV.
Emergency responders, alerted by a bystander, were waiting on the shore. Martin County Fire Rescue divers subsequently searched the submerged vehicle to ensure no one else was inside. Apollon was then transported to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce for treatment of serious injuries, a fire rescue department statement confirmed.
At the hospital, doctors performed an emergency C-section, and Apollon gave birth to a baby girl, Ivory Atara, weighing 3 pounds, 14 ounces, within hours of the rescue. Dr. David Rubay, chief of trauma at the hospital, emphasized the critical role Hayes’s actions played in the positive outcome. “Getting someone to jump in and open the door in the beginning – that made the whole difference,” Rubay told WPTV.
Woodley Sully, Ivory’s father, expressed his profound gratitude to Hayes, stating to WPTV, “The only way I can explain this is God… my girls are here, so I’m grateful.” Apollon herself echoed this sentiment, telling WPTV that Hayes had given her and her daughter the chance to share a birthday, calling the situation “surreal.”
Hayes, after ensuring Apollon’s safety, immediately contacted his mother, Candy, to share what had happened, she posted on social media. He described the day as “a different level of crazy” to WPBF, expressing his astonishment at being part of such a life-altering event. “All the things that are positive – it’s just, like, wow,” Hayes remarked to WPTV.
