{"id":15813,"date":"2018-07-03T10:57:13","date_gmt":"2018-07-03T15:57:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/georgiaarsoncontrol.org\/?p=15813"},"modified":"2018-07-03T10:57:13","modified_gmt":"2018-07-03T15:57:13","slug":"army-veteran-saves-toddler-from-sinking-suv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/georgiaarsoncontrol.org\/?p=15813","title":{"rendered":"Army veteran saves toddler from sinking SUV"},"content":{"rendered":"

(BaxterBulletin<\/a>) \u2013 Lonnie Crim, a Mountain Home native and U.S. Army veteran, was at\u00a0 Pigeon Creek Park\u00a0<\/a>along with his wife Pamela Crim to fly a drone he just purchased.<\/p>\n

Little did Crim know his training for a seven-year career as a combat engineer with the Army would be put to the test in the blazing heat of Monday morning.<\/p>\n

Crim, his wife Pamela and their large Labrador retriever \u201cTank\u201d had just moved to a new spot at the park to fly Crim\u2019s recently purchased drone.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were about to fly it further in the park, but there were swimmers there,\u201d said Crim. \u201cSo we came here, just on the other side of the pond.\u201d<\/p>\n

Crim had the drone in the air with his wife and dog looking on when a woman who declined to give her name fell asleep behind the wheel of a Honda Pilot. She had been looking for a shady spot in the park so she and her 18-month-old daughter could take a nap.<\/p>\n

The woman said she awoke when the SUV crashed into the pond after running off the north side of the causeway and bowling over a pair of large wooden posts. The SUV miraculously stayed upright as it plowed down the rocky slope into the shallow pond.<\/p>\n

Pamela, Crim and Tank ran to the scene after watching the crash. As Pamela ran, she could hear the frantic mother calling for help.<\/p>\n

Crim pulled out his wallet and phone, ripped off his glasses and raced down the steep slope to the water.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just knew she needed help,\u201d said Crim. Hearing her scream like that really got me moving.\u201d<\/p>\n