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."