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Good Samaritans Rescue Woman Submerged In Water After Rollover Crash In Tracy

TRACY (CBS13) – Two men are being hailed as heroes for rescuing a woman whose vehicle rolled over and became almost completely submerged in an irrigation ditch, the Tracy Fire Department said.

Officials said the two men - identified as Jorge Mendoza and Daniel Miranda – were unknown to each other and were traveling in separate cars when they witnessed the crash.

"Honestly, before I even jumped in I was looking for body parts because I thought for sure that person was in pieces," Miranda said.

Miranda told CBS13 that he saw the whole thing from the passenger seat as his friend was driving on Schulte Road near Lammers Road.

Tracy firefighters said that both men pulled over and immediately began working to free the woman, who was unresponsive.

Swipe left for more photos.

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(credit: Tracy Fire Department)
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(credit: Tracy Fire Department)
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(credit: Tracy Fire Department)
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(credit: Tracy Fire Department)

"I took off my boots and my shirt and I'm like 'Who's going in?" and he got in and I got in and he broke the window and I reached in and it was just dirty muddy water and I felt something. I felt a limb," Miranda said.

Officials said the men performed CPR and were able to revive the woman prior to firefighters' arrival.

"Crazy experience. I was just at the right place at the right time and you know I'm happy that she made it," Miranda said.

But before the pieces of this crash, there were already reminders of another one nearly ten years ago when a car flipped into the drainage canal, killing four teens. Miranda said he wouldn't hesitate to help again.

"It didn't hit me until afterward," Miranda said. "I was at work and I was almost in tears and I was like "I can't believe that happened" and just holding her body while she was out of it. I thought she was done."

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