Rescue workers save man who drove car into pond

By Denice Thibodeau

Published: July 21, 2008

Monday started out normally for Deputy Johnny Dooley of the Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office. Then a call came in shortly after 11 a.m. saying someone had driven a car off Crane Road, right into a pond.

Dooley responded, and said he arrived not knowing what to expect.

Dooley, who also is assistant chief of Mount Hermon Fire & Rescue, met other responders at the pond in Blairs, including Bryan Arrington, another Mount Hermon firefighter and EMT, and Sgt. Scott Campbell, a county deputy who also doubles as a member of the Danville Live Saving Crew’s diving team.

With Campbell supervising, Dooley and Arrington pulled on life jackets and headed for the water. Ropes were tied around their bodies so people on land could pull them out if they got into trouble.

“It was nasty, full of branches and trash,” Dooley said.

As soon as they got to the vehicle, they saw the victim was still inside. The water level in the vehicle was halfway between the man’s chin and bottom lip, Dooley said, and the vehicle was continuing to slowly sink deeper into the muddy bottom of the pond.

“We beat on the window, and he was responsive,” Dooley said. “Another 30 or 40 minutes, we would have had a different outcome.”

Carefully, they got the door open and pulled the victim out, and got him back to shore, where Mount Hermon rescue workers took over and transported him to Danville Regional Medical Center.

A quick shower, a change of clothes and both Arrington and Dooley were back at their day jobs.

Neither wanted to take too much credit for saving the man’s life.

“We do what we do to get the job done,” Arrington said. “Somebody has to do it.”

Dooley agreed, adding, “We’re not heroes. We had a job to do; that’s what we do every day.”

Both men, however, were anxious to give credit to the other responders at the scene.

“There were six or seven other members (of Mount Hermon Fire & Rescue) out there, the (Pittsylvania County) Sheriff’s Office, State Police, Blairs Fire & Rescue, the Danville Life Saving Crew, even the Virginia Department of Game and Fishing,” Dooley said. “Just because there’s different (agency) names on our shirts, doesn’t mean we don’t all work together. We all help each other out.”

Contact Denice Thibodeau at or (434) 791-7985.