FOX 35 EXCLUSIVE: Orlando family shares story of survival after dangerous crash

ORLANDO, Fla. - An Orlando family shared their miraculous story of survival with FOX 35, Sunday, after a dangerous crash.

Gabriel Carrero and his two sons, Gabriel Jr. and Jose, were driving their normal route Thursday night on Lee Vista Boulevard when they drove over something. The car went over the sidewalk and into a pond alongside the road.

“When I hit the sidewalk, the car lost control and started jumping,” Carrero said. “In one moment, when I didn’t hear anything, I asked God to just take me, but let them [the kids] survive.”

The car landed upside down into the body of water. Jose, 4, was strapped into his car seat underneath the water. His brother, Gabriel, said it was instinct for him to find the car seat and lift Jose’s head above water inside the car until a good Samaritan spotted the family and jumped into the chilly water to help.

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“I didn’t really think. I was just trying to help,” said the 12-year-old.

“Gabriel is the angel of the family,” said Carrero Sr.

Jose and Gabriel Jr. made it out of the car first. Firefighters then spent about 40 minutes getting their dad out.

The family calls it a gift from God that they all survived and get to be together for Christmas. The near-death experience has changed all of their perspectives on life. “The people that you love, say you love them every day because you don’t know when it could turn around,” Carrero Sr. said.

Tune in to FOX 35 Orlando for the latest Central Florida news.