4 Hoosiers honored for bravery

FISHERS, Ind. (WISH) - They risked their lives to help save a mother and her daughter after their car plunged into the water. Tuesday night, four Hoosiers were honored for their heroism and bravery.

It was a cold December day when Carrie Mattingly and her 5 year-old daughter, Ava, were on their way home and the unthinkable happened. Carrie’s SUV plunged into an old strip mine filled with water. She and her daughter are alive thanks to four people who came to their rescue.

“Grateful is an under statement; we are thrilled to pieces,” Mattingly said.

Thrilled to be alive after a terrifying ordeal. In December, Mattingly and her daughter were in an SUV when it plunged into an old strip mine filled with water off 116th Street in Fishers.

Mattingly and Ava survived because of the quick thinking of four Good Samaritans.

 “I’m so grateful that these guys stopped; they didn’t know us. They are those people. They just stop to take care of people they don’t even know,” Mattingly said.

Tuesday night, the Fishers Town Council honored Rhonda Curry, Jeffrey Oliver, Chad Basey and Randy Jones.

“Everyone putting themselves at risk for somebody they didn’t know,” said Deanna Matthews with Fishers Emergency Services.

All four of them played a huge part in the rescue. Curry stopped and called 911. Oliver, Jones and Basey jumped in the frigid water until emergency officials arrived.

“We were blessed that day; God was definitely with us,” Basey said.

Nearly three weeks after the rescue, evidence of the rescue is still at the scene. One of the good Samaritans who risked their lives says it was a harrowing ordeal.

“Going into the water, it was just, you just did it. Now, you have time to think about stuff. Then, you didn’t,” said Jones.

Jones was a little nervous about getting the award and recognition. He said it was something he had to do. He couldn’t keep back his emotion when he received a personal drawing from Ava.

“I have three daughters myself and seeing this hits home,” Jones said.

“There’s no word big enough; there’s not a word you can really thank someone for saving your life and your little girl so she celebrate her 6th birthday,” Mattingly said.

Ava turned 6 years-old a week after the incident. She drew a picture for each one of the rescuers.  On the pictures: each of the rescuers names and a drawing of the ambulance they were in.