Grafton man rescues passenger from car sunk in river

A Grafton man is being hailed as a hero after he jumped into the Quinsigamond River and saved a female passenger from a sinking car that had driven off the road Friday night, police said.

Chris Etre was driving down Wheeler Road when he noticed the sinking car just before 10 p.m., Grafton police said in a press release. The car had slid on black ice, causing the driver to lose control and crash into the river.

The driver, an unidentified male, was able to escape, but a passenger was trapped inside, police said.

Etre jumped into the river, broke the rear window of the car, and helped the female escape before the car became fully submerged.

Both the driver and the passenger were taken to a local hospital for evaluation, though neither was injured, police said.

Etre could not be reached for comment Saturday night, but the Grafton police commended him for his actions.

“The Grafton Police Department wants to recognize and commend Chris Etre for his actions and quick response during this incident,” police said in statement. “Without his rapid intervention, the outcome could have been tragic.”