(NewsNation) — A chain of events lined up exactly right to get a woman out of her sinking SUV that crashed into a Florida canal, just in time.

A deputy from the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office just happened to be nearby doing a wellness check.

Flagged down by drivers, he was told there was a terrible crash and a woman, who goes by Miss Linda, was in serious danger. Corporal Tony Le said he knew to hurry, but he had no idea how crucial every second would turn out to be.

Linda’s vehicle had flipped into a canal, and she pinned upside down with her head partially submerged underwater. With help from bystanders, Le was able to cut her seatbelt and rescue her.

“We were able to open the door about 1 1/2 feet, and I managed to crawl through. I saw that her head was under water, and then she’s gurgling at me saying she’s drowning,” Le told NewsNation.

With her seatbelt cut, Le reached for her to pull her out.

“It kind of got to me when I grabbed her arm and I pulled and nothing happened,” Le said.

But Le and a team of bystanders got her out of the car and up the embankment. A few moments later, she even patted one of them on the shoulder to say thanks.

Linda suffered a medical event which caused her to crash. She’s expected to survive.

In Le’s six years as a deputy, he says he’s has responded to cars in canals a few times before but never quite like this.