When a flooded sinkhole began swallowing a woman's car, a quick-thinking officer gave a 3-word command to bystanders
The woman was drowning in a 7-foot sinkhole
On June 23, 2026, a woman from Norfolk, Virginia, was driving what she thought was just another routine trip when everything changed. Suddenly, the road beneath her gave way, trapping her and her vehicle in a 7-foot sinkhole. Panic set in as the ground crumbled around her, and she cried out for help. Fortunately, Officer AJ Stevenson happened to be passing by the area and heard her calls. Seeing water filling her vehicle, he quickly rushed over to assist and said three words to the other helpers, as reported by WTVA on June 28, 2026.
Community steps up for rescue
Although Stevenson had already taken it upon himself to get the woman out of the vehicle, he got some help from bystanders, one of whom was Brennan Feldman. He revealed that, similar to Stevenson, he also stopped after hearing screams. Following this, he and a few others joined in and held Stevenson as he climbed into the sinkhole to reach the woman. These people made sure that he didn't fall himself. As soon as Stevenson reached the woman and opened the door, he told the bystanders three words: "Grab my belt."
The swift rescue
That was enough, as the woman, as seen in the clip, is then rescued by Officer Stevenson and the others. "I’m sitting there, and I’m grabbing his belt as hard as I can because he’s a big guy," Feldman said. They were able to pull the woman out within a minute. Following this, Stevenson acknowledged that even though he was the first one to jump in, he couldn't have saved the woman if it weren't for Feldman and the others. Additionally, the Police Department also put out a post emphasizing how public safety works best when law enforcement and the community work hand in hand. Thanks to Officer Stevenson and the bystanders, the woman was able to pull out of this situation unscathed.
Vehicle submersions
Submersions remain to be exteremly fatal, with about 400 people losing their lives because of them each year in North America, according to research by Gerren K. McDonald and Gordon G. Giesbrecht. The majority of these people pass away because of drowning rather than any physical trauma. A separate review published in the Journal of Injury and Violence Research found that public awareness of vehicle submersion is generally low, with delayed escape attempts and ineffective response protocols remaining major contributors to drowning deaths. This highlights the severity of the situation the woman was in, but she was fortunately saved by quick thinking.
'There can’t be people who would let her sink'
Everyone was impressed by Officer Stevenson's effort in the comment section of the clip posted by Inside Edition (@InsideEdition). @teshyatan7346 wrote, "I'm very glad the woman was rescued from the flood." Meanwhile, @youdontknowme485 pointed out, "I hope everyone would have helped. There can’t be people who would let her sink and drown in front of them, right?"
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