BONNEVILLE COUNTY, Idaho — A woman escaped a submerged vehicle Tuesday without life-threatening injuries after a passing bystander jumped into a canal along East Iona Road and broke through a window to pull her to safety.
The incident occurred near a meat packing plant at 1090 E. Iona Road in Bonneville County. The vehicle departed the roadway and entered the canal, leaving the driver trapped inside. Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Bryan Lovell confirmed the details of the rescue and said deputies are continuing to investigate what caused the crash.
Bystander Steps In When Seconds Counted
Brandunn Griggs, a father of four, happened to be returning from a nearby wrecking yard when he saw the vehicle go into the water. He immediately went down the embankment and into the canal in an attempt to open the car door. When that proved impossible, he took more direct action.
“I went down to the doors trying to open the door…I ended up just punching the window to unlock the door,” Griggs said.
His quick thinking allowed him to get the door open and bring the driver out of the vehicle before the situation became fatal. Griggs said the woman expressed immediate relief and gratitude after being pulled from the water. “She was thanking me. She’s telling me how thankful she was that I showed up to help her,” he said.
The driver was not identified publicly and did not sustain life-threatening injuries as a result of the crash.
Marijuana Impairment Under Investigation
Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office deputies are still working to determine the precise cause of the crash. Investigators believe impairment from marijuana may have been a contributing factor, though that aspect of the investigation remains ongoing.
Following the rescue and recovery operation, the vehicle was removed from the canal and the roadway was reopened to traffic.
Water-related emergencies along Bonneville County’s network of irrigation canals and the Snake River corridor are a recurring public safety concern in the region. In separate recent incidents, rescuers have faced difficult conditions along local waterways. A search for a man who fell near the Snake River in Idaho Falls stretched into a second day as zero visibility hampered recovery crews, and an Idaho Falls man died on the Snake River bank after spending hours injured following an embankment fall.
Tuesday’s outcome stood apart from those tragedies largely because of Griggs’s immediate response. Canal incidents can turn fatal within minutes, particularly when a driver is unable to exit a submerged or rapidly filling vehicle on their own.
What Comes Next
The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office investigation into the crash cause is ongoing. Investigators have not yet released information on whether charges related to impaired driving will be pursued. Sgt. Lovell’s office has not indicated a timeline for the conclusion of that inquiry.
Officials have not released the name of the driver. Griggs, who emerged from the incident as an unlikely local hero, was not injured during the rescue. No additional details about the vehicle or circumstances of how it left the roadway have been made public at this time.
Residents traveling along East Iona Road and other rural Bonneville County corridors where irrigation canals run parallel to the roadway are reminded to exercise caution, particularly during periods of high water flow. Anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to contact the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office.