A North Carolina Department of Transportation worker took a break from his road paving project on Monday to save a life. You know, all in a days work for a DOT worker.
According to WNCN, Jay Mozingo was working on the paving project in Vance County when he heard the squeal of tires and saw a car plunge into a pond, the driver struggling to get safety in the sinking car. Of the two other bystanders, one was calling for help and the other couldn’t swim.
“So I took off my shirt and my boots and told the guy I was coming in,” Mozingo said. “… If I was in that situation, I’d want somebody to do the same.”
For the next 10 to 15 minutes, Mozingo led the rescue effort. He jumped into the pond, swam to the driver about 35 feet away and took hold. The driver told his rescuer that he couldn’t swim. Mozingo pulled the driver but let go as he began sinking from the weight of the driver.
“I saw him go down and I didn’t see any air bubbles,” Mozingo said, “And I just caught my breath and I saw where he went down, so that’s when I dove down and I was just reaching around. It was so murky, you couldn’t see anything and I just felt his shirt and pulled him up.”
When he resurfaced, there was a rope thrown in the pond by other bystanders to grab ahold of. The two were pulled safely to shore.
Vance County Fire Captain Bryant Williams released a statement lauding Mozingo’s actions.
“Mr. Mozingo’s heroic actions and his love of his fellow man is credited today in saving the life of a total stranger. In today’s society where it seems people turn their eyes away and don’t want to get involved, Mr. Mozingo showed that there is still some compassion, some concern and some love for an individual who you have no relationship or no friendship with,” Williams said.
