Group of Cyclones players ran in and saved 22-year-old Luisa Maria Castro after she drove her car into the canal on South Padre Island in south Texas

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

A group of Iowa State football players have been hailed as heroes after saving a woman from drowning when her car plunged into a canal in south Texas.

The Cyclones were on a spring break trip in South Padre Island two weeks ago when several members of the team saw the car go into the canal. Three players ran over from their hotel room and swam over to the sinking car. A woman was inside screaming for help, linebacker Anthony Lazard told the Des Moines Register.

“She was like, ‘Get me out! Get me out! Get me out!’” he said.

The woman – later identified as 22-year-old Luisa Maria Castro – was trying to break the windshield as the water rose inside. The players tried to smash the driver’s side window – but found the glass too tough.

“I was getting worried that we were going to watch this girl drown to death, because no matter how hard we were hitting it, [the glass] wasn’t cracking or spidering for a while,” said Lazard.

Finally the players – Jack Spreen, Josh Jahlas, and Lazard – broke a hole in the windshield large enough to pull Castro out. Spencer Benton, plus former players Matt Swoyer and Joe Doran, also assisted in the rescue.

ISU WOPA (@ISUWOPA) This is what a group of heroes look like. Jumped in and saved someone from drowning in their car. God bless. pic.twitter.com/K7AqG64KtQ

A police report detailing what happened was released Thursday.

“That car completely sank in less than a minute and if not for them jumping into the water and pulling the driver out, she would most certainly have drowned,” police officer Michael Schiltz said in a statement.

Spreen, Lazard and Jahlas are reserve senior linebackers. Benton is a reserve sophomore defensive end.

Castro, 22, was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated, police said, but called the Iowa State players heroes.

“I have no words to express how appreciative I am of them,” Castro said in an interview with the Register. “Even when I messaged them, I still felt that the words or what I was saying to them to thank them and how grateful I was. It just felt like that wasn’t enough.

“They really are heroes, and I am forever grateful for what they did.”

