LOGAN, Utah, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- Police say an Ogden, Utah, man is a hero for jumping into the Logan River to save three children trapped in a car underwater.
Chris Willden was driving with his father and son to Logan Saturday to buy a new TV for their vacation home in Garden City when they spotted a minivan that had skidded off the icy road and down the riverbank, The (Logan) Herald Journal reported.
When they slowed to see what happened, they noticed a second car upside down in the river. Willden and his father, Bruce, immediately got out to help.
"We jumped out of the truck, ran over and jumped into the river," Willden said. "The only one in there at the time was the dad. He was frantic and trying to do everything he could but wasn't able to."
When he found the car's doors locked, Willden, a former police officer, tried to open the car's doors, pulled the gun he was carrying and shot out the rear passenger window.
"We reached up, pushed the car up enough and I saw one of the 9-year-old little girls and told her to get out," Willden said. "She told me she couldn't get out because of her seat belt so I pulled out my pocket knife and cut the seat belt away. I grabbed her, pulled her away and someone else took her from me.
"We saw another 9-year-old little girl. She was just floating in the water and was just as gray as could be. My dad grabbed onto her, and then someone else took her and we pushed the car up a bit more, and that's when we saw the little boy still strapped in the car seat with his eyes rolled back in his head."
The driver of the submerged car was Roger Andersen, 46, of Logan, the father of Mia, 9, and Baylor, 4. The other child in the car was Kenya Wildman, 9, a family friend.
The children were taken to hospitals, where they were listed in fair condition.
The Utah Highway Patrol said in total 10 to 12 people helped avert a tragedy.
