Man rescued after SUV lands in creek on Long Island

BABYLON, N.Y. (WABC) -- A man had to be rescued from a creek in Babylon on Long Island Friday morning after he lost control of his SUV and plunged into a creek.

According to Suffolk County Police, the motorist suffered an unspecified "medical event" before he lost control of the vehicle along Shore Road in Babylon, Long Island.

The SUV narrowly missed several others along the pier, where boat owners had been working. Andrew Mirra watched it happen and ran with other motorists to get him out.

The motorist was alone in the vehicle, identified by investigators as 73 year-old Charles Jacob of Deer Park. Jacob managed to escape and get on top of his partially-submerged SUV until the witnesses could help lift him to safety.

He was rushed to Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip where he remained in good condition. Doctors tell Eyewitness News that he will be admitted for tests to determine precisely what caused him to become disoriented.

The waterway is known as Sampawams Creek, and is a tributary of Great South Bay.

No one else was hurt, although three boats were damaged, along with a portion of a dock. The vehicle was destroyed in the crash and three boats sustained damage.