A 90-Year-Old Driver Was Trapped in a Sinking Car

By the time Ben Busboom-Miller reached the car, most of it was already underwater. He could still make out part of the roof, but somewhere inside was a 90-year-old woman who couldn’t get out.

Someone helping from shore suggested grabbing a rock. Ben found one and started pounding on a window, trying to break through before the car disappeared completely beneath the surface.

It was August 11, 2026, and a terrible rainstorm had just turned an ordinary afternoon in Champaign, Illinois, into a fight to save a woman’s life.

The Rain Made the Road Almost Invisible

Around 3:41 that afternoon, heavy rain was moving through Champaign. Visibility had become so poor that drivers could barely see what was happening in front of them.

Near the intersection of Prospect Avenue and Marketview Drive, an elderly woman lost control of her vehicle. The car left the roadway, crossed the grass, and plunged into a retention pond beside the road.

The pond had filled with rainwater, and the vehicle quickly began sinking. Anyone looking from the road could see that something had gone terribly wrong, but reaching the driver was another problem.

Ben Busboom-Miller was nearby, along with Jennifer Harmon and Noel Garcia, two employees at an AT&T store close to the accident. As they realized someone might still be inside the car, they began working together to help.

Jennifer and Noel helped coordinate the response from near the bank while Ben prepared to enter the water. He emptied his pockets, leaving behind anything he didn’t want to lose, and headed toward the submerged vehicle.

He later told local television station WCIA that he’d looked at the others and simply said, “I guess I’m getting wet.”

He Used a Rock to Break the Window

Finding the car was difficult because so much of it had disappeared below the surface. Ben could still see enough of the roof to locate it, but he needed a way inside.

One of the women suggested using a rock. Ben grabbed one and began striking the window repeatedly until the glass finally broke.

By then, the driver was underwater. Ben reached into the vehicle and managed to grab her near the neck and shoulder, but pulling her out was much harder than he’d expected.

The car’s interior was getting in the way. He tried moving her between the front seats and toward the broken window, struggling to find enough room to get her free.

Meanwhile, Jennifer and Noel continued helping from outside the pond as emergency responders arrived. Four Champaign police officers also entered the water and joined the rescue, working with the civilians to get the woman out.

They succeeded. The driver was brought to safety and taken to a nearby hospital for medical evaluation.

Ben came out with cuts on his body and injuries to his fingers that required stitches. But when reporters later asked whether he’d do it again, he said he wouldn’t hesitate.

The Woman Sent Him a Thank-You Card

The story quickly spread around Champaign as people learned what had happened in the pond. Ben received plenty of praise, but he kept pointing out that Jennifer, Noel, and the responding officers had also played important roles.

Jennifer decided to help with the injuries Ben had suffered during the rescue. She created a GoFundMe campaign to cover his medical expenses, and donations soon passed $2,300.

Then Ben received something unexpected from the woman he’d helped rescue. She sent him a personal thank-you card along with $2,000. The gift was her way of thanking the stranger who had entered a flooded pond and fought to reach her when she couldn’t escape on her own.

Noel also spoke publicly about how grateful he was that Ben had been there. He and Jennifer had wanted to help, and Ben’s decision to enter the water had given them someone they could work alongside during the emergency.

Three Civilians Received Lifesaving Awards

On September 29, the Champaign Police Department held a special ceremony to recognize the people involved in the rescue. Ben Busboom-Miller, Jennifer Harmon, and Noel Garcia each received a Community Lifesaving Award for their actions that afternoon.

Four police officers who had helped bring the woman to safety were also honored. They received the department’s Chief’s Challenge Coin, recognizing the risks they had taken while helping rescue her.

Family members and friends attended as police officials described what had happened. The department wanted to recognize the civilians who had stepped in before the emergency crews could reach the car and the officers who joined them.

The ceremony brought everyone together again, although this time they were meeting in much better circumstances.

The Woman They Saved Came to Thank Them

The 90-year-old woman also attended the ceremony. After surviving the accident and recovering from the experience, she was able to see the people who had helped save her life.

Her son, an officer in the United States Coast Guard, also expressed his gratitude publicly. He commented on a Facebook post shared by the Champaign Police Department, thanking everyone involved. As someone familiar with dangerous rescue operations through his own work, he understood the risks the civilians and officers had taken to reach his mother.

But the most personal moment came from the woman herself.

Seven weeks after being pulled from a sinking car, she was standing among her rescuers, thanking them in person.