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Published on Tuesday, March 2, 2004
in the Palm Beach Post
WEST PALM BEACH -- When he saw the car flip over on Interstate 95 and land upside down in a canal, Creighton Baker stopped his car and jumped into the muddy water.
By the time an astounding burst of teamwork was done, Baker, Yves Aubourg and Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Mary Godino had saved the lives of 80-year-old Joseph Steg and 77-year-old Sylvia Steg.
The trio received awards for heroism Monday from the city commission.
The accident happened about 10:30 a.m. Feb. 3 when a car clipped the Stegs' car, sending them hurtling off the road.
Baker, who saw the wreck while on his way to a business meeting, stopped in the middle median, ran across the northbound lanes of I-95 to the canal, and jumped into the water.
"I heard somebody yelling inside and I could see somebody's arm in the muddy water," said Baker, 43, who owns a security company.
Aubourg, 35, a security guard, stopped on Congress Avenue and swam across the canal to help. Baker needed something to break the windows of the car, which was filling with water.
Just then, another motorist who had stopped tossed him a hammer.
Baker broke the back window, and pulled out Joseph Steg, who told him his wife was still inside.
Baker passed the man to Aubourg. Baker then had to swim through the car's open window to retrieve the hammer, which he had dropped inside the car. He got it, then broke the front driver's side window, and pulled out Sylvia Steg. Godino helped pull the Stegs to safety.
"I didn't think about nothing," Aubourg said. "I just thought I had to go save these people's lives."