A remarkable story of bravery and quick thinking has emerged from Martin County, where a woman who was eight months pregnant owes her life—and that of her baby—to a kind stranger.
On her 29th birthday, Shedly Appolon was driving along I-95 when she suddenly felt dizzy. While she may have been in good spirits, fate had an unexpected challenge in store for her. As the dizziness intensified, she lost control of her vehicle, which veered off the highway and plunged into a pond. In a state of confusion, she called her fiancé, telling him that she was “in the water,” which understandably confused him as well.
Just as the call dropped, water began to seep into the car from underneath the pedals, causing it to tilt further into the murky water. “I tried to open my driver’s side door and my passenger door, but they were both submerged, so I couldn’t escape,” Appolon recounted. “I started to feel water on my feet, and panic began to set in.”
Fortunately, at that critical moment, a Good Samaritan named Logan Hayes noticed the situation and sprang into action. Without hesitation, he stripped off his extra clothing, made a running leap, and swam towards the sinking car. He reached the back door just in time and managed to open it before it too was engulfed by water. “When he swung that door open, I felt like he was an angel,” Appolon expressed.
Opening a car door while it is sinking is nearly impossible due to the immense pressure from the water outside. The best chance of survival is to either open the door as the car enters the water or roll down the windows beforehand. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of this, which makes Hayes’s quick actions all the more heroic.
Thanks to Hayes’s timely intervention, Appolon was able to escape, and paramedics quickly arrived to take her to the hospital. There, doctors determined that the stress from the traumatic experience necessitated an emergency C-section.
Her fiancé joined her at the hospital shortly after the birth of their daughter, Ivory, who arrived seven weeks early, weighing just 3 pounds and 14 ounces. Appolon affectionately referred to Ivory as her “miracle baby,” a sentiment that resonates deeply after such a harrowing ordeal.
Logan Hayes humbly stated that he was simply grateful to be in the right place at the right time. This inspiring tale not only highlights the importance of community support but also serves as a reminder of the extraordinary acts of kindness that can arise in unexpected situations.
