A San Diego police officer is being hailed as a hero for saving two toddlers after their father drove off a cliff in California. Officer Jonathan Wiese received a call about a suicidal man who was threatening to drive his truck off the Coronado Bridge near Sunset Cliffs with his two-year-old twin daughters.
When Wiese arrived at the bridge, he watched in horror as the truck drove off the 30-foot cliff at a high rate of speed.
"Before I could even plan my next move, he picked up speed and drove right off the end of the cliff, and your heart sinks, and your first thought is, please tell me the girls weren't in the car," Wiese said.
Wiese rushed over and saw the truck had flipped upside down and crashed into the water below. He thought about jumping off the cliff but remembered he had a 100-foot leash in his vehicle. Wiese is one of just five K-9 officers who have the special dog leash, which they use to control the dogs during SWAT raids.
Wiese tied the leash around his waist, handed it off the other officers, and rappelled down the cliff. When he reached the truck, he found that the man and his two daughters were still alive.
"He had both girls," Wiese explained. "He was holding them and trying to tread water, but they were all going under. One was awake and crying; the other one was pretty lifeless."
Luckily, the man put both girls on his lap before driving off the cliff. If they were in the backseat, they would have been crushed when the truck hit the water.
Wiese managed to pull all three to safety, and they are expected to recover. Officials have not said what charges the father will face.
Photo: KFMB-TV