ByMariah Congedo|June 13, 2020 at 11:04 PM EDT - Updated June 14 at 6:47 AM
RICHMOND HILL, Ga. (WTOC) -Two people are thanking the lifeguard that rescued them after floodwaters swept their car into a ditch on Friday afternoon.
It was only a matter of minutes until her car was completely submerged. Live Oak Drive looked more like a river than a road after heavy rainfall flooded the area.
“The roads were just so bad," said Savannah Markley. "Water was just flying everywhere as people were driving through.”
Markley was with her father-in-law on their way to pick up her daughter. She says as she was driving, roads were beginning to flood so she took the side streets, which weren’t any better.
“We stopped and looked at the situation and we decided that we weren’t going to try to go through it," she said. " We took a sharp right to do a U-turn right here to turn around and the current of the floodwater that was going over the road took my car straight into this big ditch.”
Markley says it all happened so fast.
"I noticed that water was coming in from everywhere."
Markley says her father-in-law screamed at her to get out as they both raced to unlock the doors and get their seatbelts off.
Jonathan Adams was on his way to work when he noticed the incident. He says he’s a certified lifeguard and he credits that for helping him, help them.
“My nerves weren’t even there at the initial start of it," he says. "My first instinct was to go help.”
This was the thought other neighbors had too as they threw them lifejackets and rope to grab onto. Markley says she had just told her father-in-law before the incident how much she loves her community.
“I was actually just talking to him about our community and how great it is and how great the people are,” she says.
“My mom raised me on this saying it goes, ‘do for people what you want done upon yourself.’," says Adams. "If I was in that similar situation I would hope some bystanders would come and jump in and help me.”
The two made it out safely with little to no injuries. If you would like to help Savannah Markley, clickhere.
Photo: WTOC