Target Worker Crashes Into Canal After Working Black Friday Shift

Off-Duty Sheriff jumped in water to rescue woman

An exhausted Target worker crashed her car into a canal after falling asleep at the wheel following an overnight shift during the Black Friday sales.

The 36-year-old Florida woman lost control of her Pontiac Grand Am and plunged into the water on her way home from her job at Target, which opened its doors at midnight on Thursday night.

The unidentified woman was saved by Frank Mayo, a Palm Beach Deputy Sheriff, who (like the victim) had also been on his way home from work, and was three miles away when he got the call.

The woman was unable to escape the sinking car because she couldn’t swim.

‘When she said she couldn’t swim she was absolutely right. If I hadn’t come, she would have sunk like a stone,’ Mayo told WPTV News.

‘I reassured her that I wasn't going to leave her, that I would stay with her and that nothing was going to happen to her. I could tell she was really panicking.’

Moments later, two more deputies arrived and threw a rope that they used to pull the woman and Deputy Mayo to land.

Mayo, who has had several occurrences saving people from drowning in a canal—one resulting in the death of two women, said it felt great that the woman was able to walk away from the ordeal.

For the first time, retail stores opened its doors as early as 9 p.m. Thanksgiving day to Black Friday shoppers. Target was the first to announce the change in schedule. Others like Macy’s, Kohl’s and Best Buy followed. Wal-mart upped the entity opening at 10 pm. But Toy’s R US let customers in the earliest, at 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.

When target first made the announcement, a Nebraska employee started up a petition on Change.org asking for reasonable working hours. However, despite the petition going viral and receiving over 100,000 comments from across the country, the retailer refused to change its hours.

Regarding the canal incident, a Target spokesman said: “Our thoughts are with the team member and her family for a speedy recovery.

Target has said that customers and staff liked the early opening hours.