INDIANAPOLIS, IN (WXIN/CNN) – An Indiana father managed to rescue his 3-year-old daughter when the girl accidentally backed a car into a pond, but he died himself after he was submerged in nearly freezing water for 19 minutes.
The Indianapolis Fire Department was called to an apartment complex just before 4:45 p.m. Sunday on the report of a vehicle in a pond.
According to authorities, 24-year-old Anthony Burgess Jr. had parked his car but left his engine running. His 3-year-old daughter somehow got into the car and backed it into the pond, they say.
Witnesses say Burgess dove in to save his little girl as soon as he noticed the car was in the pond. Two bystanders, one of them Burgess’ friend, jumped in as well.
Neither Burgess nor his friend knew how to swim, according to witnesses.
Burgess was nevertheless able to pull his daughter out of the car, and one of the bystanders got the girl to safety. Firefighters confirmed the girl was pulled from the water at 4:47 p.m.
But Burgess remained submerged.
The father was reportedly in the 35-degree water for at least 19 minutes, with divers retrieving him at 5:06 p.m.
Burgess and his daughter were taken to separate hospitals. The father died from his injuries late Sunday night, firefighters say.
The little girl was admitted to a children’s hospital in critical but stable condition. Her condition was upgraded Monday, and she is expected to be moved out of intensive care.
Divers located the car about 25 feet down and 50 feet out from the shore. Crews retrieved it Monday morning.
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