Cape Breton international students share story of dramatic beach rescue caught on camera
Three international students from India were back home in Sydney, N.S., on Tuesday after a day at the beach they'll never forget.
"When we jumped in the water, we didn't know that there was a baby in the car,” said Ajay Singh.
Singh was among the rescuers during an incident at the East Bay Sand Bar in East Bay, N.S., on Sunday.
The three students, along with another man and a nurse who happened to be at the beach late Sunday afternoon, made a desperate effort to pull a car out of the water after it reportedly slipped out of gear and rolled in.
They say they had to act quickly to rescue the little boy who was sleeping inside.
"After parking the car, she was trying to get her stuff out of the car,” fellow rescuer Vikram Dalal said of the driver. “At the same time, the car starts sliding into the water."
"The lady was shouting so much,” Singh continued. “I was sure that she was not shouting for the car."
Cape Breton Regional Police says by the time they were called, and had a chance to respond, the child and driver were safe on shore.
Police add they were checked by EHS and cleared of any injuries, and that a bystander with a truck eventually towed the car onto dry land.
Still, the students who came to the rescue say the outcome could have been different.
"I think if we got delayed - one or two minutes, or more, delay - there would be a tragedy,” Singh said.
One of the three men admitted he can’t swim, but says he went into the water without hesitation anyway.
"We had to do something,” said Lovepreet Kumar. “Because if we call 911, they have to take some time to reach there - it's too far from town, right? They would have to take some time. That's why we jumped in (the) water."
Looking back at the rescue now, which was captured on video, the three friends are grateful for the kudos they have received.
"I would say that we are not heroes. We are just like, common men,” Singh said.
The men, who are students at Cape Breton University, say the woman with the child thanked them at the scene – though they didn’t get her name.
They say they were simply happy to have been in the right place at the right time – and to have been able to help.
"It's a God gift that we got a chance to save someone's life,” Singh said. “And we think God gives a chance to very few people to save someone's life."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Feds quietly change rules to allow one-time ArriveCAN exemption at land border crossings
The Canadian Border Services Agency is temporarily allowing fully vaccinated travellers a one-time exemption to not be penalized if they were unaware of the health documents required through ArriveCan.

Prosecutor: Stab attack on Salman Rushdie was 'preplanned'
The man accused in the stabbing attack on Salman Rushdie pleaded not guilty Saturday to attempted murder and assault charges in what a prosecutor called a 'preplanned' crime, as the renowned author of 'The Satanic Verses' remained hospitalized with serious injuries.
Average rent up more than 10% in July from previous year, report says
Average rent in Canada for all properties rose more than 10 per cent year-over-year in July, according to a recent nationwide analysis of listings on Rentals.ca.
More than 10,000 Canadians received a medically-assisted death in 2021: report
More Canadians are ending their lives with a medically-assisted death, says the third federal annual report on medical assistance in dying (MAID). Data shows that 10,064 people died in 2021 with medical aid, an increase of 32 per cent over 2020.
LAPD ends investigation into Anne Heche car crash
The Los Angeles Police Department has ended its investigation into Anne Heche's car accident, when the actor crashed into a Los Angeles home on Aug. 5.
Canadian literary figures double down on free speech following Salman Rushdie attack
Canadian writers, publishers and literary figures doubled down on the right to freedom of thought and expression on Saturday, one day after an attack on award-winning author Salman Rushdie that left him hospitalized and on a ventilator.
FBI seized 'top secret' documents from Trump home
The FBI recovered documents that were labelled 'top secret' from former U.S. President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, according to court papers released Friday after a federal judge unsealed the warrant that authorized the unprecedented search this week.
Parent of child with rare form of epilepsy distressed over N.S. ER closures
Kristen Hayes lives close to the hospital in Yarmouth, N.S., but she says that twice in the past month, her son, who has a rare form of epilepsy, has been taken by ambulance to the emergency room there, only to be left waiting.
140 lightning-caused wildfires detected in B.C. over last 3 days, service says
Lightning has sparked more than 100 new wildfires in British Columbia since Wednesday, as thunderstorms rolled through the provincial Interior.