Three people were killed Thursday afternoon after a 2007 Cadillac SUV overturned into an irrigation canal in Central California.
The crash happened around 3 p.m. on Overland Avenue near H Street, west of Los Banos in Merced County, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Investigators said the westbound vehicle went off the roadway at a curve for reasons that remain under investigation and overturned into a canal, where it came to rest upside down and completely submerged.
Before firefighters and paramedics arrived, several people who witnessed the crash went into the canal to try to rescue the occupants.
According to CHP Officer Shannon Stiers, roughly eight people worked together to roll the vehicle onto its side, remove the occupants and begin CPR on the canal bank.
Two people were pronounced dead at the scene. A third was taken to a hospital, where that person later died, authorities said.
Family members later identified the victims Friday as Valerie Cintora, 60, Shawn Arcadia, 60, and Julia Renee Ordunez, age unknown, according to ABC30.
Stiers praised the bystanders who rushed into the water in an attempt to save the victims.
"Everyone did what they could to try to save some lives," Stiers told the station. "I think any normal person would, whether it was a family member, son, or daughter, try to do the same."
The roadway was closed for several hours while investigators examined the scene.
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This article originally published at 3 killed after Cadillac SUV overturns into California canal.