A Director of Sales for Marine, Offshore and the Gulf Coast at Carboline, Brad Treuting was at the right place at the right time on the evening of January 20. On the way to celebrate his birthday with a quiet dinner near New Orleans, La., Brad and his family witnessed car lights suddenly swerve and disappear into a dark canal.

Without hesitation, Brad and another witness jumped out of their cars and ran into the frigid, murky water to rescue the driver trapped in the overturned vehicle. They both tried desperately to break a window or open the doors, but the water made those attempts hopeless. Quickly re-evaluating the situation, Brad and the other witness rocked the vehicle back and forth in an effort to free up space for any passengers to escape. Finally, they saw 58-year-old Mark Rusck, the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, emerge from the other side.

Pulling Rusck onto the bottom of the overturned vehicle, Brad kept the driver above water and talked to him, as he drifted in and out of consciousness, until the paramedics arrived. Still struggling to breathe, the driver shared that he didn’t know if he was going to make it. Brad reassured him that he would pull through, stating, “You’re going to make it. It’s my birthday. My anniversary is tomorrow. You got to do this for me.” Rusck is now in stable condition.

Although Brad may have gotten much more than he bargained for on his birthday, his fearless act during a crisis and ability to quickly strategize while teaming up with a complete stranger ultimately helped to save a life and return this gentleman to his family.

Hats off to Brad and the other hero for jumping into action to help rescue a stranger from a dangerous situation!