A woman from Newfoundland will never forget her trip through Saskatchewan, and how lucky she is to be alive.

Ela Gogotzi said she'll also never forget the people in Watrous, Sask.

This summer, Gogotzi was driving across Canada with her rescue dog, Naina. After leaving Vancouver, she headed east.

While passing through Saskatchewan, Gogotzi lost control of her vehicle on Highway 15 near Watrous, which is about 120 kilometres southeast of Saskatoon.

She said the road was not in good shape, but the most problematic aspect was that it was "hard to predict."

"It was pavement and then suddenly out of the blue, loose stones, and then again pavement," Gogotzi said, adding pot holes and bumps were also a problem.

She lost control and the vehicle rolled over, flipping into a slough.

"I nearly died in the car," she said. "It was completely submerged in the swampy slough."

Gogotzi said she was trying to stay as calm as possible.

The road where Ela Gogotzi's vehicle went off the road and into a slough. Gogotzi said an American couple also crashed in the same spot the same week of her crash. (Submitted by Ela Gogotzi)

"I was completely trapped in the car and only had about a minute — let's say — to keep on holding my breath. I ended up swallowing a lot of the water as well because I just couldn't hold my breath much more."

She had one thought in her mind: "This is the way I'm going to die."

Gogotzi said she then looked for anything heavy to break the windows, but wasn't able to find something. Then, all of a sudden, she extended her legs and her feet touched the bottom of the slough. Her back window was broken and she was able to get out.

After gasping for air, she tried to find her dog. At the same moment, a vehicle passing by stopped and she said a man jumped in the water to help. But it was too late for Naina.

Left with nothing, strangers step up to help

After the traumatic ordeal was over, Gogotzi still had a lot to worry about.

"I was left with nothing," she said. "I didn't even have shoes. I was left with just soaked pants and a hoodie."

Gogotzi said the couple who stopped to help gave her whatever clothes they had to keep her warm. They also let her sit in their vehicle so she wouldn't be eaten alive by mosquitoes.

I was just really thankful in my mind that I ended up in this kind of place. - Ela Gogotzi

With her adrenaline pumping, Gogotzi didn't want to be taken to a hospital. After speaking to an RCMP officer, it was now dark. A tow truck driver came to get her vehicle, and the officer offered to take her to a motel.

Refusing to leave her dog, Gogotzi wrapped its body in a blanket and brought it with her to town.

She said someone found a box for her dog, and the RCMP officer suggested taking it to the local veterinary clinic for the night. The clinic was closed, but by chance, the owners drove by at the same time. They agreed to take Naina's body until Gogotzi was able to sort things out.

Ela Gogotzi and her rescue dog, Naina. (Submitted by Ela Gogotzi)

After a night full of "crying and fighting the heavy flashbacks", Gogotzi had a knock on her motel door. It was the tow truck driver. She said his name was "Lorrie". Lorrie's wife lent Gogotzi some clean clothes.

She said he then took her back to the scene of the crash to collect whatever was still there. But the tow truck driver's hospitality didn't end there.

"He basically took me under his wing," Gogotzi said. "He helped me with everything ... he just was always there, so patient."

She said Lorrie gave her cream to heal the wounds on her feet, food, rides, access to a phone, and washing and drying what she still had left. Calling him "a true guardian angel", Gogotzi said he also kept her spirits up with jokes and stories.

He also introduced Gogotzi to his friend — a woman named "Lori".

At that point, Gogotzi decided she needed to cremate her dog in order to bring it back home. Lori drove her several hours back and forth to make it happen.

But Gogotzi said the amazing kindness still didn't end there.

Days later, after staying in a different motel for nearly a week, it was time for Gogotzi to check out and go home. She was told the motel owner wanted to talk to her.

Gogotzi said the owner told her, "It's OK, you don't owe anything. I am sorry about your bad luck and really wish well from now on." She was at a loss for words.

"I was just amazed with how much people really helped each other ... and to strangers like myself," she said. "I was just really thankful in my mind that I ended up in this kind of place."

Gogotzi said she is planning to return to Watrous someday "to thank all those people".