YORKLYN, Del. -- Icy roads led to a crash and a remarkable rescue Tuesday morning in New Castle County, Delaware.
A high school student went off the road and into an icy creek. She was trapped in the freezing water, upside down in her car before she was freed and pulled to safety.
That young lady is now at home recovering. Her family is amazed she wasn't hurt more seriously and are extremely grateful to the firefighters and bystanders who stopped to help.
Police say they arrived on scene around 7:30 a.m. and found the Honda Accord upside down in Red Clay Creek in Yorklyn, and the 18-year-old driver screaming for help.
George Lamborn from the Hockessin Fire Department says, "She was actually holding herself up out of the water. The water was probably about eight inches from covering her head."
State police say that driver is Emily Earnest. Her parents say she was on her way to school when she lost control of her car at Creek Road and Snuff Hill Road.
Authorities say her car flipped into the icy creek and hit a large rock, which kept the car from submerging completely.
Hockessin Firefighters George Lamborn and Matthew Burge jumped into the water as soon as they arrived.
Lamborn explains, "She was upside down still buckled. So, we asked for some tools to get her out. We had to break the window."
Within minutes, they had cut Emily's seatbelt and pulled her from the car shivering, but still awake.
Matthew Burge says, "She was pretty upset, pretty hysterical, panicked. We were able to get her up on the bank. I handed her off to my partner and we were able to get her into one of the fire trucks to start warming her up."
In a written statement to Action News, Emily said, "I am very grateful to the people who stopped and called for help and the police and rescue teams that got me out of the car safely. I feel very blessed."
Emily was treated at Christiana Hospital and then released. Her parents say she has a mild concussion.
State police say the cause of the crash is still under investigation.