Schroeppel, N.Y. — An Oswego man was getting home from work when his wife told him a car just went into the nearby river.
Joshua R. Blackwell dropped his stuff and ran toward the Oswego River. He went down a steep embankment and jumped into the water with his work clothes on.
He saw the car sink and he knew the driver was trapped.
“He was trying to kick out the window, but the car was almost under water,” he said.
What Blackwell did next saved the man who, according to troopers, crashed into a guardrail on Route 46, plunged down a steep embankment, and ended up in the river beneath the Hinmansville Bridge in Schroeppel.
Blackwell, who was honored in June by State Police for saving the driver, recently talked to Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard about what happened April 27.
Blackwell said he jumped into the frigid water, fighting a strong current. Low temperatures in late April were in the 30s and 40s.
Blackwell grabbed a rock from the shoreline and used it to break the front window on the passenger’s side.
“I pulled him out of the car and just floated there with him for a minute and made sure that nobody else was in the car,” he said.
The water was deep under the bridge so neither of the men could stand. Blackwell said he just wrapped his arm around the man and swam with him.
Blackwell was able to drag the man to the shore as the car settled on the bottom of the river.
As he dragged the man to safety, emergency workers arrived.
The driver was Chad J. Munger, 48, of Fulton, said Jennifer Jiron, a spokesperson for the State Police. Munger was charged with driving while impaired by drugs, according to Jiron.
State police awarded Blackwell with a certificate of appreciation award and credited him for saving another man’s life.
“Mr. Blackwell risked his own safety to save a stranger’s life, who undoubtedly would not have survived without his help,” Jiron said.
Blackwell said he didn’t really think about the rescue as an act of heroism. He just did what he could to help because he’s seen a lot of things happen on that one lane bridge.
“You just have to be fast about it,” Blackwell said. “You know, if I waited another five minutes, the poor guy would have drowned.”
Staff writer Greta Stuckey covers breaking news. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at gstuckey@syracuse.com.
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