Firefighter Heroism: Off-Duty Rescuer Saves Woman from Submerged Car in Queens
May 25, 2026
During an unexpected flash flood on the Jackie Robinson Parkway, an off-duty firefighter emerged as a hero, saving a woman trapped in her submerged car. The dramatic rescue unfolded in Queens, New York, on what was initially a routine journey home.
Travis Langan / Credit: FDNY
Travis Langan, an FDNY firefighter and former U.S. Marine, was heading home on Wednesday night when he came across floodwaters that were rapidly submerging vehicles along the highway. Recognizing the urgency, Langan stopped his car to offer assistance.
One of the affected drivers was Carmen Pinto, a principal at an elementary school, whose Tesla Model 3 had become incapacitated in the rising water. Pinto described her frantic efforts to escape, including unsuccessful attempts to open doors, lower windows, and contact emergency services.
“I was trying to keep my head as close to the sunroof as possible because the water had come up that far,” Pinto said. “I really thought that was ‘it’.”
Langan, guided by a bystander, noticed Pinto struggling to breathe as she pressed against the sunroof. He quickly climbed onto her car and began pounding the sunroof with his hands to create an opening.
“I just started punching my way through,” Langan recounted. “I got a big enough hole.”
Pinto then passed Langan a Yeti cup, which he used to further break the glass and eventually pull her to safety through the sunroof.
The rescuer and the rescued were later reunited at the FDNY headquarters, where Langan received accolades from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore. Pinto expressed deep gratitude to Langan, crediting him with saving her life.
“I am so happy and so blessed that I was sent an angel,” she remarked, acknowledging Langan’s selfless act despite the personal risk and his responsibilities at home.
Mayor Mamdani commended Langan for his quick thinking and bravery, emphasizing the life-saving nature of his actions. “This is a man whose first instinct is to help, to protect, to serve, and to save,” the mayor stated. “Because of his bravery, Mrs. Pinto will sit down to dinner with her family this evening.”
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