Sometimes it pays to be in the right place at the right time.
It all started when Cristiano Piquet, a South Florida realtor, was paragliding above a canal. He was scouting property, but what caught his eye, instead, was an alligator. This alone wasn’t unusual, but when he landed to get a closer look, he saw much more: A woman stranded with her submerging car.
“There was a big one [alligator] because he did a big splash, and I came down to see the alligator when I saw the car,” Cristiano said.
The woman was on top of her car, holding on to the roof as she screamed out for help. Cristiano was wearing a body camera that he uses for work, so he was able to capture the moment he came to her rescue. Thankfully, a neighboring resident heard the commotion and came out to help, too, providing some rope.
This situation would understandably rattle anyone. Thankfully, Cristiano was able to think fast.
“In that moment, I think God told me, ‘My friend, land and save that one life,'” Cristiano said. “We landed between power lines and uneven terrain… it was a terrible landing situation. For some reason, I was calm.”
Shortly after he landed and the resident arrived, they were able to safety get her out of the water. She appeared to be in shock but seemed to be OK after making it to land safely, Cristiano told NBC Miami.
Footage from the rescue shows Cristiano running towards her and calling out for help.
“Oh my God!” the woman shouted. “I fell with my car in here.”
Although it’s still unclear how her car made it in the canal, the woman was taken to the hospital and is recovering.
Talk about an unforgettable Sunday! Cristiano, who usually goes to church, said he didn’t mind missing it on this particular weekend – he was just happy he was able to save this woman’s life!
“God cares about her life because he put me in that moment, that perfect moment, on that day,” Cristiano said. “Maybe I would have flown somewhere else.”
Don’t forget to share this story with a friend to celebrate such an amazing rescue.
Want to be happier in just 5 minutes a day? Sign up for Morning Smile and join over 455,000+ people who start each day with good news.