It was both guardian angels and human heroes who saved a 75-year-old woman when they rescued her from her overturned car in late 2024. When Robbie Carpenter’s car crashed upside down in an irrigation canal, a 6-year-old girl was the first to respond and get help. While playing outside at her grandmother’s house in Live Oak, California, the child observed the accident and alerted her parents, Cyle Johnson (28) and Ashley Martin (27).
Cyle immediately jumped over a fence and into the canal, which was filled with about 2 feet of water due to recent rainfall. Ashley followed Cyle, and the two found Ms. Carpenter unresponsive, her head submerged in the water.
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After reaching in and unlocking the car, Cyle pried open the door and found the elderly lady still buckled in the driver’s seat. A passerby provided a knife to cut the seat belt, and the three pulled Ms. Carpenter from the car to safety.
The rescuers remained with Robbie until emergency services arrived. Fortunately, Ms. Carpenter’s injuries were minor; however, she knows that the outcome could have been far different. Officials at California Highway Patrol’s Yuba-Sutter Division wrote, “Had it not been for the heroic actions of Cyle, Ashley, and their daughter, this would have been a much different outcome. We applaud the life saving actions demonstrated by this family!”
Life-saving may be in this family’s DNA! While it was Cyle and Ashley’s little girl who first noticed the accident and sought help, her daddy has responded and helped during crisis situations in the past. Cyle was the first on the scene following a fatal wrong-way crash on SR-99 just one month before Ms. Carpenter’s accident. He helped Ian Essary, who was seriously injured but released from the hospital following his recovery.
Interestingly, when the accident occurred, Cyle was already in the hiring process for the California Highway Patrol. It sounds like he was born for just that type of work. One CHP official shared, "Cyle is that one guy you need in your time of need.”
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“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:13
h/t: People
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Hally is a freelance writer, blogger, and mental health advocate. A former school counselor, Hally works for a nonprofit that distributes tax dollars to mental health and prevention education providers that serve her county's kids and families. She's a contributor to a devotional and two essay collectives, and she shares resources and wisdom regarding parenting teens, mental health, faith, adoption, and more at http://www.hallyjwells.com where she strives to "Dig Deep and Reach High." She and her husband have three adult children and one rascally beagle pup. Hally loves travel, her book club sisters, personality tests, and a great glass of iced tea.