"I just had a car go in the lake and there's an elderly woman inside the car," said a woman who works at Sandy's Marina in Van Buren Township when she called 911.
The dispatcher asked if the woman was above water.
"She is above water now but the car is sinking," replied the desperate caller.
And in the passenger seat of that sinking SUV was 77-year-old Catherine Sandifer.
It all happened Friday afternoon, shortly after Catherine's 38-year-old grandson parked and exited the vehicle to get fishing bait out of the truck area.
Dajuan Sandifer told 7 Action News that he asked his grandmother to hit a button to unlock the trunk and the next thing he knew, the SUV was rolling into the water.
Dajuan sustained some minor injuries when he tried to jump back in the vehicle to stop it, but it was too late.
The vehicle went nose first off the dock and into Belleville Lake with Catherine still inside.
Thankfully, first responders say the owner of the marina and a boater were able to keep Catherine's head above water until help arrived.
Dajuan says he was trying to hold the vehicle up in a race against time as it continued to slowly sink.
"The car is floating over to a dock. I have two guys going now to see if they can get the car and possibly get her out," said the 911 caller.
First responders arrived just in time as the men were losing their strength. Fire Captain Ken Floro and another firefighter were able to secure a rope around Catherine and pull her out of the sinking SUV before it was completely submerged.
Van Buren Township Public Safety Director Greg Laurain says if it hadn't been for the two citizens who jumped into action to help, Catherine's ordeal may have ended in tragedy.
We're told Catherine Sandifer was taken to a local hospital, but, at last check, she was doing well and resting at home.
