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As she held her dog above the water pooling into her vehicle, Marjorie Flavel feared her life would end in a Saskatchewan slough.
“I am so grateful that my little girl and I are still here,” she said while holding her pet, Angel, in her lap at her home in Regina.
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Flavel skirted a little to close to the shoulder of the road while driving on Sunday, crashing into a slough on Highway 20, north of Craven.
The Regina senior was rescued from her sinking SUV by a few Good Samaritans, who trudged to vehicle and helped her escape through the sunroof.
Flavel was returning to Regina from Bulyea after a weekend visit with one of her relatives.
She said she felt a large bump that punched up her right fender as she lost control of her vehicle and entered the ditch.
“The car turned – it didn’t roll, thank goodness – it just turned into the water, and then started sinking,” Flavel said.
Marjorie Flavel’s SUV had water up to the windshield after she crashed on Highway 20 outside of Craven, on Sun, July 5, 2026. (Marjorie Flavel/ Submitted)
The car immediately began to fill with water –though gradually – which sent a jolt of fear through Flavel, who can’t swim.
Her dog’s kennel was prevented from flying through the window because it was attached to the back of the car. Her pet, however, had escaped out of the unlocked kennel, while Flavel tried to open the car door without success.
Flavel said she felt panic as she scooped up her dog from vehicle floor that was already covered with water.
“I tried to get the window breaker out of the glove compartment and everything was just floating out of the glove compartment,” she said. “I couldn’t find it.”
Flavel said she could see a cluster of people gathering on the side of the road as the water reached her chest in the SUV.
“I thought I was dead,” she said.
Two bystanders eventually begun trudging towards Flavel help get her out of the vehicle.
Matt Mario had pulled over on the side of the road just minutes earlier, after seeing the SUV in the slough.
His father told him to jump in when emergency vehicles hadn’t arrived yet.
Matt (left) and Mike Mario were both along Highway 20 near Craven on Sunday, where a woman was rescued from the slough. (Gillian Massie/ 980 CJME)
“I had so much adrenaline pumping,” Mario said. “I find myself getting into situations like this quite often, and each time I’m learning how to keep more calm.
“I think that I was so prepared to just talk her out of this and just ensure that we have her back.”
Mario climbed onto the roof of the vehicle after he couldn’t get the doors open. Flavel said the sun roof was able to be cranked open manually.
“Matt says, ‘Give me your hand … I’ll pull you out,’ and I said, ‘my dog goes first,’” Flavel recounted.
Another bystander waded with the dog back to shore, while Mario pulled Flavel out of the sun roof.
Mario helped Flavel down into the arms of other bystanders and they all trekked back to shore.
“I’m terrified of water,” she said. “I don’t know how I stayed as calm as I did.”
Flavel said neither she or Angel were hurt in the situation and is so grateful for everyone who stopped by to help.
She plans on taking the two bystanders out for lunch to say thank you.
