An 81-year-old poll worker was rescued after her car went into a pond early Tuesday morning at the Covenant Church of Naples. The woman, identified only as Sandra, was preparing for a day of work at the polls when the incident occurred.
Jackie Ardoline, a campaigner who arrived at the church around 6:30 a.m. to support candidates on the ballot, spotted Sandra’s car sinking into the water. Ardoline, who typically enters the church through the main entrance, decided to take a different route that morning — a decision that may have saved Sandra's life.
“I was driving in. It was pitch black,” Ardoline said. “On the other side of that bush, I saw taillights and thought, ‘I didn’t know there was a road there.’ Then I realized it was water.”
Sandra managed to climb out of her car’s window before the vehicle submerged further. Ardoline quickly ran to the pond and helped pull her to safety.
“She was very shook up, understandably so,” Ardoline said. “She was really confused. I don’t know if she knew what happened immediately, but thank God she’s okay. I’m just happy I was there at the right time.”
ABC7 requested the official report from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office for more details on Sandra's condition, but fortunately, she was able to walk away from the incident.