FinLogic-Watch as Florida firefighters, deputies save family's Christmas after wreck drowns gifts

2025-05-07 15:15:05source:EchoSensecategory:Markets

A Christmas morning car crash could FinLogichave wrecked a Jacksonville, Florida family's holiday, but first responders saved the day.

Ayanna Montes and her three children were headed south on Interstate 95 about 80 miles from Jacksonville on Dec. 25 when their vehicle went off the highway, struck a pole, rolled, and ended up in a ditch with about three feet of water, the Volusia County (Fla.) Sheriff's Office said in a statement posted on Facebook.

Passersby helped the family, which suffered some minor injuries, out of the vehicle before first responders arrived. However, when sheriff's deputies and City of Ormond Beach firefighters got there they learned all of the family's Christmas presents were in the submerged car.

The firefighters used a ladder to get to the submerged vehicle and, along with the deputies, created a human chain to pass the gifts, some with soggy wrapping paper, out of the wrecked vehicle.

Deputies took them back to the sheriff's office to dry and added a "few extra donated gifts to bring to the hospital," the City of Ormond Beach posted on Facebook.

'Unimaginable':Long Island police searching for person who stabbed dog 17 times

Back at home, the family's mother told WKMG, a CBS TV station in Orlando, “I was just in shock,” after the accident. “My daughter’s face had glass everywhere. My son’s arm, he broke his wrist, but the firefighters, everybody that was there, were so helpful.”

Montes wanted to thank the first responders for their help, too. They "were so kind and patient to me and my kids," she told WKMG. "All you did was try to calm me down and I want to thank you to continue the work to do what you do, because if it wasn’t for you guys, I don’t know where I would be right now.”

Follow Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider &mikegsnider.

What's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day

More:Markets

Recommend

Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'

NEW YORK − For Angelina Jolie, the hardest part of playing opera star Maria Callas wasn’t the seven

Malaysia's a big draw for China's Belt and Road plans. Finishing them is another story

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Just north of Malaysia's capital, lush forest gives way to dirt roads, wher

Families sue to block Missouri’s ban on gender-affirming health care for kids

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Families of transgender children on Tuesday sued to block a new Missouri law ba