A good Samaritan is speaking out after rescuing a couple and their two dogs on Christmas Day following a snowy car crash in California.
Ruben "RJ" Tala, an Air Force staff sergeant, and his wife, Yvett Bañares-Tala, and their baby were traveling to Lake Tahoe along Highway 50 when an SUV spun off the road and landed on its side.
"The only thing I had in mind is, you know, to rescue those passengers," Tala told ABC News.
Tala and other helpers rushed to save a couple and their dogs inside the overturned vehicle, which was held up by a fallen tree and perched along the edge of a steep embankment hundreds of feet above the ground. The heart-stopping rescue was caught on camera by Bañares-Tala.
In the video clip, the sergeant can be seen holding onto the driver's side door before others arrive to help.
Tala said his adrenaline and military training kicked in during the rescue.
"When I assess the situation, [I realize] I need to get the car stabilized first before extracting the passengers for safety," Tala said.
Tala recalled asking another helper to bring him a rope and used it to tie it to the car's front steering wheel to help stabilize the car.
The group then banded together and formed a human chain to pull the trapped passengers and animals to safety.
After the rescue, the couple said they were grateful to Tala and hailed him a hero.
