SAN ANTONIO -- Chest-high in water and heavy mud, Bexar County officer Pedro Garcia and three other officers hoisted a sinking vehicle for nearly 40 minutes to save the man trapped inside.
The cab of the car was underwater and sinking fast after 26-year-old Jordan Lopez flipped his car into a creek on Thursday morning at Shaenfield Road and Canterhorse Bluff on San Antonio's far northwest side.
His passenger, 25-year-old Justin Labaria, was partially ejected and died instantly, officers said.
Lopez, however, was able to survive on a bubble of air as officers supported the vehicle for nearly 40 minutes until a tow truck arrived and pulled the car out.
That’s when rescuers realized Lopez had a dog that was trapped inside the vehicle with him.
“The dog didn’t even bark," Garcia said. "We didn’t know until we pulled the vehicle and the person out that the dog was in there."
Lopez was released from University Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. He was later charged with intoxication manslaughter.
