Trooper Christopher Cady jumped into Cross Lake and used a window punch to break through a sinking vehicle’s sunroof, freeing a trapped man with help from a Good Samaritan.

CATO, NY — A New York State trooper and a quick-thinking bystander rescued a man trapped inside a sinking vehicle at a Cayuga County marina after the trooper entered the water and smashed through the vehicle’s sunroof.

Trooper Christopher Cady responded to Cross Lake Marina in the town of Cato on Sunday, October 4, at approximately 2:37 p.m., following an emergency report of a vehicle sinking at the boat launch ramp.

The man was trapped inside the vehicle as it sank into Cross Lake.

Cady rushed to the water, where the vehicle and an attached trailer were sinking near the launch ramp.

Trooper breaks sunroof to reach trapped driver

With the man unable to escape, Cady entered the water and approached the sinking vehicle.

Using a specialized window punch, the trooper shattered the vehicle’s sunroof to create an opening.

A nearby Good Samaritan joined the rescue effort, helping Cady free the trapped man and get him out of the vehicle.

The rescue was completed before the situation turned deadly.

Authorities did not disclose the man’s identity, whether he suffered injuries or how the vehicle ended up in the water.

Quick actions prevent possible tragedy

The rescue unfolded at a boat launch where vehicles commonly back trailers into the water to launch or retrieve boats.

Officials did not specify what caused this vehicle and trailer to enter the lake.

The responding agency credited Cady and the unidentified bystander with preventing a potentially fatal outcome.

“If not for the quick actions of Trooper Cady and the good Samaritan, this incident may have ended very differently,” the agency said in its account of the rescue.

No additional details were provided about the vehicle’s recovery or the circumstances leading to the emergency.