Pregnant Woman Rescued After Crash Into Pond, Welcomes Baby on Her Birthday

Shedly Apollon, 29, was driving to a prenatal massage when her car veered off I-95 and plunged into a pond.

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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A pregnant woman was rescued from her sinking car off Interstate 95 in Florida and welcomed a healthy baby girl just hours later, on her own birthday. Shedly Apollon, 29, was driving to a prenatal massage when she began feeling faint, causing her car to veer off the road and plunge into a pond. A passerby named Logan Hayes jumped into the water and pulled Apollon to safety. Apollon was rushed to the hospital, where doctors performed an emergency C-section. Her daughter, Ivory Sully, was born at 33 weeks and admitted to the NICU. On Monday, mother and daughter shared skin-to-skin contact for the first time, which Apollon described as "overwhelming and healing."

Why it matters

This story highlights the heroic actions of a Good Samaritan who risked his own safety to rescue a pregnant woman from a life-threatening situation, as well as the resilience and strength of both the mother and newborn baby who overcame significant challenges to survive and thrive.

The details

Apollon was driving to a prenatal massage on Feb. 6 when she began feeling faint. She tried to pull over near the I-95 weigh station west of Stuart, but her car veered off the road and plunged into a pond. Apollon was unable to open the doors as the car sank, but a passerby named Logan Hayes noticed the car going into the water and jumped in to rescue her, swimming both of them to safety.

  • On February 6, Apollon's car veered off I-95 and crashed into a pond.
  • Apollon welcomed her daughter Ivory Sully on her own birthday.

The players

Shedly Apollon

A 29-year-old pregnant woman who was rescued from her sinking car and later gave birth to a daughter on her own birthday.

Logan Hayes

A passerby who noticed Apollon's car going into the pond and jumped in to rescue her, swimming both of them to safety.

Ivory Sully

Apollon's daughter, who was born at 33 weeks and admitted to the NICU after the emergency C-section.

Woodly Sully

Apollon's fiancé, who said the family is counting its blessings after the incident.

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What they’re saying

“Immediately, I tried to open my driver-side door and the passenger door, but they were both submerged. I was banging on the window like, 'Someone save me,' because normal people — they just drive by and record instead of assist.”

— Shedly Apollon (sun-sentinel.com)

“When he swung that door open, I was just like, 'Okay, you are an angel. You came out of nowhere.'”

— Shedly Apollon (sun-sentinel.com)

“Having her hands touch me and feeling her heartbeat — it was surreal. Today showed me I can be strong because she's fighting as well.”

— Shedly Apollon (sun-sentinel.com)

“I got to see both of my girls. She came out with no scratches, and the only way I can explain this is — that's God.”

— Woodly Sully, Apollon's fiancé (sun-sentinel.com)

What’s next

Apollon and her newborn daughter Ivory Sully are continuing to recover at the hospital, and the family is grateful for the outpouring of support they have received.

The takeaway

This remarkable story of survival and resilience in the face of a life-threatening situation serves as an inspiring reminder of the power of human compassion and the unbreakable bond between a mother and child.