OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — Editor's Note: This story has been corrected to reflect the car window was not broken.
On Sunday afternoon, Anthony Gaudet saw something he never expected as he drove down Melton Lake Drive in Oak Ridge: a car had crashed into Melton Lake.
Gaudet is an officer with the Tennessee Department of Correction at the Morgan County Correctional Complex in Wartburg. His immediate response was to pull his truck over, empty his pockets, and jump into the frigid lake to help whoever was inside that car.
Gaudet said he swam out and saw a woman inside the car. He swam out to her as she got out of the car and brought her to the bank where several other people had pulled over to help. The bystanders helped pull the two to shore and worked to warm her up.
"A lot of people have dealt with loss, and to be able to prevent that, there's absolutely no bigger high for me," Gaudet said.
Oak Ridge Police said they got the call around 2:55 p.m. Sunday that a car had crashed into the water near the UT-Battelle Rowing Tower.
Gaudet said he is glad he was passing by at just the right time to help.
"As soon as she got out of the vehicle, the vehicle tipped forward and sunk right to the bottom," he said.
The driver was taken to Methodist Medical Center for treatment.
Gaudet said after he got dry clothes at the Walmart in Oak Ridge, he went to the hospital to visit the woman.
"I actually was able to get her some flowers and a get well card," he said.
He said her family was grateful.
"They were very appreciative that they have their daughter," Gaudet said.
Gaudet said his life is devoted to serving the public as an officer.
"As long as somebody is safe, I have no problem putting myself in harm's way," he said.
Oak Ridge Police said they left the car at the bottom of the lake because it was already submerged 100 feet off the bank by the time they got there.