This little celebration will remain in their memories. In Avanne-Aveney, near Besançon (Doubs), a group of friends experienced a very special Saturday evening. They had left for “a quiet reunion where we had a drink together” when, around 9:45 p.m.… the vehicle of the grandmother of one of the guests disappeared.
“She was supposed to take the path along the canal, but we didn’t see her headlights reappear on the other side of a house. We hadn’t heard anything but we quickly went to see,” says Camille Courtois. Good idea: when they arrived, the vehicle was sinking in very cold water.
“It was three-quarters buried,” continues the 18-year-old young man, who then transformed himself into the hero of the evening. Because he had the reflex to quickly dive in order to rescue the victim. “I got there first and I didn’t think twice when I saw that, I went for it. I just took off my pants and put my phone down before diving in. »
The hardest part was not done. It remained to extract the septuagenarian who could no longer scream. “You could tell she was trying to breathe because I saw bubbles. But it was stuck, so I broke the window. Luckily I had my signet ring because otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to break it. And I managed to get the grandmother out. » Better, bring her back to the shore, where several of her friends were waiting to receive her. “She was still breathing and conscious. »
“She wanted to avoid a cat on the road”
Moments later, the victim could snuggle up in a blanket and even take a hot shower. “The firefighters arrived about ten minutes later,” adds the apprentice lumberjack, who was treated to the same comforting treatment. Before of course being congratulated and thanked. “She told me that, without me, she would never have been able to get out of it… She had wanted to avoid a cat on the road but drove the wheel in the wrong direction. I think she would have died by the time help arrived. »
The young man assures him, he would do it again if the situation were to arise again. Ice water or not. “Yes, it saves a life…” But it also disrupts an evening! The proof: nothing was celebrated after this rescue. “It calmed us all down, everyone left. » Quietly, without accident.