UGA students hailed as heroes for creek rescue

UGA students Jane McArdle, Mary McCollum, Eleanor Cart, Clarke Jones, and Kaitlyn Iannace (Sardis Police Department)

By Joe Johnson

Several students from the University of Georgia are being hailed as heroes in Burke County for helping to save the lives of three people from a vehicle that crashed into a creek and became submerged.

According to county officials, the group was traveling from Athens to Savannah Friday afternoon when they witnessed an incident in the city of Sardis in which an SUV veered off a bridge and plunged into Brier Creek.

They "without hesitation jumped in the water and pulled the driver and two children out of the vehicle," said a post on the Facebook page of the Sardis Police Department.

SPD identified the UGA students as Jane McArdle, Mary McCollum, Eleanor Cart, Clarke Jones, and Kaitlyn Iannace.

"These five young ladies were the primary factor in ensuring that the occupants were able to get out of and on top of the vehicle," the Facebook post continued. "We especially want to thank the 5 students for their selflessness and act of courage! The term hero gets said about sports stars and others but these five are true Heroes!! "