Miami

Miami-Dade Bus Driver Saves Family From Sinking Car

A Miami-Dade bus driver went above and beyond the call of duty to rescue a family -- including a one-year-old baby -- after their car plunged into a canal Monday night.

Elijah Saleem, a Miami-Dade Transit bus operator, was on his routine route when he noticed a sinking car in the area of NW 155th Street and 27th Avenue.

The 34-year-old immediately stopped his bus, called for help and ran over to the family of three trapped inside the car.

"He said, 'Take my son,' and he tossed me his son," Saleem recalled after he noticed the baby dangling from the car window as the father screamed for help.

Saleem helped the baby, the father and his girlfriend out of the canal.

"When I first talked to him and said, 'You know that you're a hero?' and he says to me, 'No, I'm not a hero ... I was just glad I know how to swim!'" said Saleem's boss, Metrobus Superintendent Melvin Watson.

Contact Us