Arizona police officers save man from drowning after his wheelchair tips over into canal, video shows
The man was neck-deep in the water when officers got to the scene
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Crisis was averted in Phoenix, Ariz. earlier this month when two police officers pulled a man out of a canal that he fell into after his motorized wheelchair tipped over.
The man, who is paraplegic, fell into the canal shortly before 2 a.m. on May 8 and was neck-deep when officers arrived, Phoenix Police Department spokesperson Mercedes Fortune said.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}After falling in the canal, the man was pulled downstream until he got stuck near a metal grate.
Officers Jacob Garcia and Justin Hopkins were able to loop a rope around the man's chest with the help of a couple of bystanders, then hoisted him out of the water.
"The rope was definitely a big help. Luckily we were able to make use of that tool that they had," Hopkins told FOX 10. "[Officer Garcia] tied that rope around his torso. I repositioned myself and grabbed ahold of his legs. And we were able to lift him out, luckily with no injuries and no problems. … That rope saved that man’s life."
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Once the man was out of the water, the Phoenix Fire Department gave the man a blanket and made sure he was alright.