Good Samaritan jumped into river to help woman in sinking car

A good Samaritan jumped into the Passaic River in New Jersey to help keep a woman afloat after her car sunk into the water, police said.

The 22-year-old woman lost control of her car on Route 21 in Belleville and drove through a guardrail into the river just after 10 a.m., Lt. John McAloon said.

“She was able to get out through her back window and onto the back of her car,” McAloon said.

A man driving by spotted the woman standing on the trunk and dove into the river to help, according to police.

The man managed to keep her afloat after the car sunk and the pair drifted about 100 yards. Two Belleville police officers used rescue ropes to pull the pair from the water.

Both were taken to Clara Maass Medical Center where they were treated for hypothermia.