Car ends up in Canal; no one hurt

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - It was a scary situation as a valley man recounted the moment his friends car was sinking in a canal.

It happened near 35th Avenue and Vogel, that woman was lucky her friend jumped into action, jumping into the water to pull her to safety.

"I tried to take the keys out of the ignition, and she jus ttook off down the road, she went into the canal, I just took off, I just jumped into the water and got her," said Joe Atencio.

21-year-old Atencio says he knew exactly what he had to do when his friend drove her car right into the canal.

"I just got her out of her seat, picked her up, carried her over to the side and pushed her up to my friend," he said.

23-year-old Danny Torres was right behind and pulled both out of the water.

"I kind of went a little over, I was telling my other buddy hold my hand so I can reach down closer because it was kind of deep, I kind of had to jump and grab his hand," said Danny Torres.

According to the guys the group was just hanging out when the 21-year-old woman decided to leave, she was emotional over something that had happened, she jumped in her car and took off down the alley.

"She was probably going maybe 10-15, miles per hour," said Atencio.

Witnesses saw the driver try to make a right hand turn from the alley, but the gates got in the way, and that's when she hit the gas and headed straight for the canal.

"If she would have kept on going slower it would have just tipped over, it would have flipped the whole car she like took off," said Travis Stone.

Members of the Phoenix Police dive team hooked huge chains to the car and a heavy recovery tow truck pulled it out. The driver stood by watching, too shaken to talk, but relieved say her friends that she was saved.