Cleveland County Sheriff Deputy Robert Taylor, Deputy Jimmy Ellis and Lt. Jody Seagle acted quickly to save a man's life. Photo provided

On Wednesday, December 18, at 6:30 pm, Cleveland County Sheriff Deputy Robert Taylor, Deputy Jimmy Ellis and Lt. Jody Seagle saved the life of a man who swerved to miss deer in the roadway and his car plunged 30 feet down into Buffalo Creek. The vehicle landed upright, but he was in the middle of deep water in total darkness. The man called his wife who called 911. He was not sure were he was because he was following detour signs around his normal route. With a 911 dispatcher's help, the deputies were able to determine what cell tower his phone was pinging from to get the man's general location. Cleveland County Sheriff's deputies drove up and down the road along Buffalo Creek, shining their lights on the water until they found him. They found the man in imminent danger of his car being swept down river or him being swept off the top of the car. The Cleveland County Sheriff's Deputies knew they had to act quickly to save his life, so they formed a human chain in waist deep water to reach the man and bring him to safety. Sheriff Norman commended the deputies saying, "I am extremely proud of the three officers who went above and beyond the call of duty, risking their own lives to bring someone to safety. At the end of the day, these officers along with other officers across the country, are underpaid for the jobs they do."