INDIANAPOLIS – An Indiana father died after trying to rescue his daughter from a retention pond at an apartment complex Sunday afternoon.
Anthony Burgess, Jr., 24, had been parked with the car running when his 3-year-old daughter somehow got into the car and backed it into the pond, according to Indianapolis Fire Department officials.
Even though Burgess did not know how to swim, he reportedly jumped in right away, along with a bystander, to save the girl.
Burgess was able to pull his daughter out of the car while the bystander got the girl to safety.
"She wasn't breathing that much," said one bystander who didn't give her name. "But when I turned her to the side some of the water came out of her mouth."
But Burgess remained submerged in the water for at least 19 minutes before divers could pull him out. The temperature of the water was 35 degrees at the time.
He received CPR and was transported to St. Vincent in critical condition. He died from his injuries late Sunday night.
The girl was in critical but stable condition Sunday night, and was upgraded Monday. She is expected to be move out of intensive care.
Divers located the car about 25 feet down and 50 feet out from the shore. Crews retrieved the car from the water Monday morning.
