Father rescues daughters after vehicle goes into Ohio River

OWENSBORO, Ky. (WFIE) - A father rescued his two daughters from his vehicle before it was fully submerged in the Ohio River Sunday.

That happened at English Park in Owensboro right before the fireworks started.

Harley Day says his daughter put the car in neutral when he stepped out for a second. That’s when he says the car went into the river.

Day tells us everyone is OK and says no one has any life-threatening injuries.

”The only thing going through my mind, you know, was if my kids were alright. And how I was going to get them back to shore,” Day said.

A father’s immediate thoughts after being dragged and ran over by his car, almost completely submerged in the river.

”I wasn’t worried about my vehicle or myself. I was just worried about the safety of my kids,” Day shared.

Day says it happened all too quickly.

”I had stepped out just for a second to ask my fiancé something, which was sitting on the ground next to the truck. And within the time that I shut the door and looked over the front of my car to speak to her, my youngest Abby decided to put the truck into neutral,” Day recalled.

That’s when Day says he tried to stop the car but fell, and then was ran over and pulled into the river.

”My side is very sore from being drug across the concrete and having that much weight on me. I do believe my elbow is broke, it’s disformed and all cut up,” Day said.

His quick responses, plus help from those nearby, saved the lives of both of his daughters.

”If it wasn’t for those pedestrians, the truck might have sunk with the kids inside. I tried my best to get them on top of the roof,” Day stated.

After the incident has finally set in, the family faces another obstacle.

”We had a month’s worth of diapers for three kids because I have a baby boy that wasn’t in the truck. We lost formula, lost social security cards, birth certificates, Medicaid cards, cash. I mean, that vehicle was my only way to make money because I’m a delivery driver with Pizza Hut, so I lost my job,” Day said.

Day and his family are asking if anyone can help them recover to reach out over Facebook.

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