Tyler Smith went to Reservoir 2 to do some fishing Wednesday evening and got a little more than he bargained for.
The 17-year-old junior at Arcadia High School pulled a woman from a van moments before it sank 20 feet offshore of the reservoir. Smith, a certified life guard, credits his training with his quick thinking.
"Training just taught me to go fast," Smith said. "It's natural instinct after you take the training, basically."
According to witnesses, a white van operated by a woman identified at the scene and over radio scanner traffic as Tammy Showalter was headed northbound on Lake View Drive about 6:30 p.m., sideswiped a tan sedan, then went off the road and into Reservoir 2. The van floated away from the shoreline and started to sink approximately 20 feet from the water's edge. Several men -- one of whom was Smith -- entered the water to pull the driver from the van and get her to shore.
One witness, who did not wish to be identified by name, saw the van enter the water.
"I was running south and she came around the bend really fast," the witness said. "It was within inches of hitting me and I ran kind of towards the water off the path. Another couple and their two kids were coming the opposite direction; (she) barely missed them. She then swerved out of our way, and hit a car and then swerved back and went directly into the water. She gassed it as she was going into the water.
"The other couple and I both tried to call 9-1-1 and then another two guys came with their truck. They jumped in with a buoy and the car went under. They pulled her out and swam to the shore."
The buoy was provided by a resident with property across Lake View Drive from the reservoir.
Smith was fishing on the west side of the reservoir when he heard the van strike the sedan across the water.
"I was over there fishing and I heard a car accident, looked up, and next thing I seen a van going in the water," Smith said. "So I dropped all of my stuff, and hopped in my truck and flew over here, took off my shoes because the van was in the water and I jumped in after.
Showalter was being uncooperative at the scene, yelling loudly at police and fire personnel.
"She wasn't listening and didn't want me to help her out," Smith said. "So then the van started going (under), she still didn't want to come out. She started moving, at that time the van was starting to sink even faster so I just yanked her out. Then she was going under, the van was sucking her back in. She was pulling my legs out, so I was going under too. Then I had to kick her off me, she finally came back up, so I brought her into shore and pulled her up. That's when everybody else took it over."
Showalter was taken into police custody. Police gathered statements from several witnesses on scene, including Smith and the operator of the tan sedan. Police did not provide further information on the driver Wednesday night, and did not release an arrest report.
In addition to officers from Fostoria Police Department, members of Fostoria Fire Division responded to the scene. Reinhart's Towing was called to pull the fully submerged vehicle from the water, but attempts to pull the van out were suspended for the night at approximately 8:15 p.m. According to firefighters on scene, the water was too dark and murky, and efforts to bring the vehicle out will continue today.
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