Deputy Rescues Family From Submerged Vehicle During Severe Storm

Canadian County deputy Chris Findley has been working in law enforcement for 15 years, but he said the best day of his career was Friday.

It started with a call to an accident in Calumet.

“The call was a single car accident, overturned vehicle, injuries unknown, occupants were trapped in the vehicle,” Findley said.

Cherokee Sleeker was driving the car, the people trapped inside were her children who are 4 and 2 years old.

Canadian County saw three to four inches of rain on Friday and Sleeker drove into a flooded road when she lost control.

When Findley arrived on scene, he said he couldn’t believe what he saw.

“I see four to five men lifting the vehicle up out of the water,” Findley said.

That’s when Findley spotted the 2-year-old girl.

“The first thing I remember seeing at the time was a lifeless child hanging upside down in her car seat,” Findley said.

Without wasting time, they began emergency CPR on the girl with Findley leading the chest compressions, and sure enough, Findley said he saw the lifeless girl come back.

“It was really hard for her to breath and as her pulse got stronger and her breathing got better — and man I remember when that baby started to cry it was amazing,” Findley said.

The children’s mother was beat up and scratched from the crash but in that moment Findley said she was mostly grateful both her kids got out OK.

He was just happy to help.

“Yesterday was the absolute best moment of my law enforcement career thus far,” he said.

News 9 spoke with the children’s mother and she said they are both fine and the 2-year-old was released Saturday morning from OU Medical Center.