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SUV sinks in Kentucky River moments after dad rescues daughters
Things took a dangerous turn, when the father’s one-year-old daughter put the car into neutral, causing the vehicle to drive into the water. (Joey Adams via Storyful)
OWENSBORO, Kentucky - A dad rescued his two daughters from a sinking SUV on the Ohio River in Kentucky on the July 4 holiday.
According to Storyful, Harley Day was attending a fireworks display with his family at English Park in Owensboro when he briefly stepped out of the SUV, leaving his daughters – aged one and three – inside.
However, things took a dangerous turn when the father’s one-year-old put the car into neutral, causing the vehicle to drive into the water.
"I had stepped out just for a second to ask my fiancee something … And within the time that I shut the door and looked over the front of my car to speak to her, my youngest Abby decided to put the truck into neutral," Day told local news outlet 14 News.
Day quickly attempted to stop the vehicle, but fell and was dragged into the river, he told 14 News.
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With the help of others, he managed to get his daughters out of the vehicle safely, before the vehicle was fully submerged.
Footage captured by bystander Joey Adams shows the car being dragged underwater and floating away.
"I wasn’t worried about my vehicle or myself. I was just worried about the safety of my kids," Day continued.
While nobody was seriously hurt, Day did lose his SUV, which he frequently uses as a delivery driver.
Day told FOX Television Stations that officials, including the Owensboro Fire Department, Henderson Fire Department and Tri-State Towing, would assist him Friday in pulling his truck out of the water.
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He is asking anyone who would like to help him out to donate to a GoFundMe set up by his sister-in-law Ashley Malcolm.
"They lost a lot of their things that were in the truck including diapers, bottles, clothes, money etc.," Malcolm said. "Harley was hurt pretty badly and probably won't be able to work for some time."
This story was reported from Los Angeles. Storyful contributed.