Good Samaritans Pull Driver From Wrecked, Submerged Vehicle, Restart His Heart

The Jackson County Sheriff's Office is crediting four people with saving the life of a man whose truck crashed into the Hopkins irrigation canal Thursday, becoming submerged.

Deputies responded at about noon to a reported single-vehicle rollover crash into an irrigation canal near East Antelope Road and Meridian Roads. James Leonard Liles, 55, was trapped inside the pickup truck, which was upside down in the irrigation canal.

Deputies report that Liles was underwater for approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Passers-by Bryon Lingren, Andrew Hutton and John Murphy assisted in rolling the vehicle onto its side and pulling Liles from the vehicle. Liles, who had no pulse and was not breathing, was moved from the canal to the road where bystander Shirley Blanchard began chest compressions. She was able to obtain a pulse and shallow breathing as medical arrived on scene. Liles was transported to RVMC for further treatment.

The cause of the accident remains under investigation.