A South Florida realtor is being credited with helping to save a woman’s life after her vehicle fell into a canal on Sunday morning.
Cristiano Piquet was flying a paramotor above a canal near Homestead on Sunday morning to scope out a property when he noticed an alligator in the water.
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“There was a big one because he did a big splash, and I came down to see the alligator when I saw the car,” Piquet said.
On top of the car was a woman clinging to the roof while pleading for help.
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Piquet, who was wearing a body camera, captured the discovery and eventual rescue. A nearby resident heard the commotion and came to assist with a rope.
“In that moment, I think God told me, 'my friend, land and save that one life,'" Piquet said. “We landed between power lines and uneven terrain…it was a terrible landing situation. For some reason, I was calm.”
Within minutes, the woman was pulled to safety. Piquet told NBC 6 that the woman was in shock but seemed OK after being brought to dry land. Piquet’s camera captured her hugging the resident that pulled her in by the rope.
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Miami Dade Fire Rescue confirmed the woman was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, but her identity has not been released.
As of Monday evening, it’s still unclear how her car ended up in the canal.
“God cares about her life because he put me in that moment, that perfect moment, on that day,” Piquet said. “Maybe I would have flown somewhere else.”
