6 rescued from Christiana Mall pond

Victor Kakulu was on Mall Boulevard headed to the Apple store at Christiana Mall on Wednesday afternoon when he saw an SUV run off the off-ramp and plunge down the embankment, landing upside down on its roof in a water-filled retention pond near the mall.

"It pretty much flew over and began rolling down," he said. "My friend called 911, then we both went down the embankment."

The incident unfolded just after 1 p.m. on southbound Del. 1 at the exit ramp to the Christiana Mall, said Delaware State Police Master Cpl. Jeffrey R. Hale.

The driver, Xian Chen Dong, 33, of Philadelphia, was southbound on the highway exit ramp approaching Mall Road when the light at the intersection changed from green to yellow and he sped up to make the right turn onto eastbound Mall Road, Hale said.

Dong then lost control of the 2011 Toyota Highlander, hit a cement curb causing the vehicle to overturn on its roof and slide down the embankment and into the retention pond, he said.

In the aftermath, five adults – the driver, a 33-year-old man and three women ages 33, 30 and 29 – and a 5-year-old boy were taken in multiple ambulances to nearby Christiana Hospital. All are from Philadelphia, Hale said.

"They were all hypothermic from being under water in the cold," New Castle County Paramedic Sgt. Michael A. McColley said Wednesday night.

The boy, who had head injuries, was in critical condition, McColley said. The adults were in serious condition.

"They all had lacerations, abrasions," he said.

One woman had a back injury and the other women had possible internal injuries, one also suffering extremity injuries, he said.

One of the men also had possible internal injuries, he said.

But if the good Samaritan rescuers had not pulled them all so quickly from the icy pond, McColley said, they might not have survived.

Kakulu, 34, and his 24-year-old friend Khalil Rayfield, both graduates of Lincoln University, carefully went down the embankment's steep incline to find the SUV overturned and partially submerged in the retention pond.

"I didn't know how deep the water was or who was still alive," said Kakulu, a communications and public relations specialist. "Luckily, I was joined by two more men to help. At that point, it was all about making sure they survived.

Graf Eggers began wading into the cold water to rescue the occupants.

The boy, with blood on his face, was pulled out first and passed along to Kakulu, who said the boy had a gash on his face and a swollen eye.

Then Eggers pulled out the driver, who appeared to be unconscious, and the three men carried him over to the grass while they worked to get the rest of the passengers out.

"It was freezing," Kakulu said. "The female passenger that we got out was on her back and I heard someone say she had a broken back. She was responding verbally, so I took off my lumber jacket and wrapped it around her."

"A bunch of awesome bystanders did their jobs and jumped in without hesitation" removing the remaining passengers before rescue workers arrived at the scene, Kakulu said.

"The first thing was when I saw the water, I said, 'This is going to be cold,'" said Eggers, who credited his Navy training for preparing him for the situation. "After that, it was getting as many people out as we could and have as many people help out as we could."

Assisting with the rescue and victim transport were crews from Christiana Fire Company, Aetna Hose Hook & Ladder Company of Newark and Millcreek Fire Company.

The investigation is continuing, Hale said.

The southbound ramp to Del. 1 was closed for about an hour as police investigated and wreckage was cleared.

"At this time of year, it really put it into perspective what could potentially happen if we didn't act quickly," Kakulu said.

"Knowing that no one has to say goodbye to their family this year means the most.... That's what means the most."

Contact Terri Sanginiti at (302) 324-2771 or tsanginiti@delawareonline.com. Contact robin brown at (302) 324-2856 or rbrown@delawareonline.com. Find her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @rbrowndelaware.