'I instantly jumped in': Former Marine saves 2 women from car stuck in northwest Indiana pond

HAMMOND, Ind. (WLS) -- Cellphone video shows a former Marine jumping into action to save two women in Northwest Indiana.

Carlos Fernandez was driving near I-80 and Kennedy Avenue on Thursday around 6 p.m. when he noticed a black car right off the road and in the water.

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"My original plan was, I was going to grab my chain from the back of my truck, and I was going to pull the car out," Fernandez said. "I didn't know it was anybody in the car, and a gentlemen yelled out, 'There's two people in the car,' and as soon as I heard that, I instantly jumped in the water."

You can see him carrying the women out of the water.

"They were both freaking out a little bit. They were both scared. You could tell," Fernandez said. "There wasn't a lot of water at that point in time, but once I opened the door, it became a lot of water."

All of it happened within about five minutes as he took three trips into the water to help the women before Indiana State Police arrived.

"When I opened the door, one by one started coming out, and I realized there was walkers in the back," Fernandez said. "One of the ladies had her foot stuck in the mud, and she couldn't walk, so I'm like, 'Alright, I'm carrying them out.'"

Fernandez said it can get really dark in this area at night off Kennedy Avenue, and there's no sign to warn drivers.

"I would like, if they can even put one of those signs right here that states 'Hey, you've got to turn this way,' because at night, you can't see this. Nobody knows this is here," Fernandez said.

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Fernandez said both of the women seemed to make it out without any major injuries. It's an act of heroism this Marine expects of himself.

"I just felt like it was the right thing to do. I think it was the Marine in me just, hey, you always have to do the right thing. Something we preach in the Marine Corps is integrity, doing the right thing when nobody is looking," Fernandez said.