28-Year-Old Dad Dead, 2 Young Children Hospitalized After Their Car Crashes into ‘Frigid’ Indiana Pond

A man died and his two young children were taken to the hospital after their vehicle went into a pond and sank in Indianapolis.

The crash happened around midnight on Tuesday, Jan. 13, when a car entered a “body of water” near 4000 Pendleton Way and became submerged, according to a post on X from the Indianapolis Fire Department (IFD).

Firefighters with the IFD and officers from the city of Lawrence went into what the department described as “frigid water” to reach the vehicle. They pulled out three occupants — an adult man and two children — the post said. After the rescues, crews began CPR on the man and one of the children.

The IFD said the man did not survive. The two children were later listed in stable condition.

The department said it was not yet clear why the car ended up in the pond and that the cause will be determined as part of an ongoing Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) investigation. Divers later searched the area around the vehicle and helped connect it so a towing company could remove it.

“We don’t know all the fact and circumstances,” IMPD officer Tommy Thompson told WTHR. “We’ll work to try and gather as much as we can but they need you. They need your prayers, they need your thoughts. Reach out, be there for these little children. They’re going to need you.”

Photos from the scene showed firefighters and police working to pull the vehicle out of the water with a large grappling hook. The car appeared heavily damaged.

IFD told WTHR that the coroner’s officer identified the driver as 28-year-old Dechon Sims. The department also told the outlet that one of his children was believed to be in cardiac arrest when officers began CPR.

Relatives described Sims to WTHR as a devoted family member and said they believe the crash was an accident.

Three IMPD officers who assisted in the rescue were taken to a nearby hospital to be evaluated after entering the freezing water, WTHR reported. The IFD said they were in “good condition.”

In a post on X, the IMPD praised the responders’ actions, writing, “No hesitation. No second thoughts. These incredibly brave men and women put their own safety aside, and their selfless actions saved two young lives.”

“Our hearts are with everyone impacted, and we are incredibly proud of our officers and our partners who stood together when it mattered most,” the department added.