UGA students describe saving family from car that crashed into creek

ATHENS, Ga. - Five University of Georgia sorority sisters are being called heroes by the Burke County Sheriff's Office for saving a woman and her children after a car crash left them submerged in water. 

It happened on Friday along Murray Hill Road as they approached Brier Creek in Sardis in Burke County.

FOX 5 spoke with the students on Monday in Athens. They said they were headed to Savannah for a girl's trip to a St. Patrick's Day weekend. 

UGA sorority sisters describe crash

"We were kind of just driving down in this part of Georgia, a very rural area, and we were approaching this bridge that was probably about like two stories above the creek below," said one of the women, Molly McCollum.

It was in the area on Murray Hill Road, where two of the girls say they saw a dust cloud, with a flash of white light. "We kind of like pull over superfast, turn, go down this hill to this boat ramp area, and we just see like this white minivan submerged underwater," said McCollum.

The students say they jumped in the water and quickly dialed 911.

"We see the mom pop out of the car, and we're just like, just tag teaming trying to get the children out of the water," said McCollum. "The smaller kid, he was four years old, he was like fully under for like we think about four to five minutes."

UGA students jump into creek to save family

One of the five, Clarke Jones, thankfully knows CPR from her summer job as a lifeguard.

"You kind of expect to never have to use it. It's just a worst-case situation. Especially to do it outside of when I lifeguarded too, I never expected," said Jones.

The women said after about a minute, the child responded. "It was so surreal, I mean the mom just went and picked up her child, and we all just kind of looked at each other, and instantly started sobbing," said Jones.

The Burke County Sheriff's Office says the mother and her two sons were transported to the hospital and released Saturday.

UGA sorority sisters to unite with family

Meanwhile, the five students tell FOX 5 they're just thankful this St. Patrick's Day weekend turned into true luck for one family when they needed help the most.

"We basically took like an hour-and-a half-long detour, and then to a completely different route to Savannah. So, it was just kind of like crazy timing that we were there," said one of the women, Kaitlyn Iannace.

The students tell FOX 5 they plan to reunite with the mother and children in the coming days.