Four days after arriving in America from war-torn Ukraine, Volodymyr Zubko heard a crash outside his temporary home.
He looked toward a marina in Freeport, New York.
An SUV had plunged into the canal and was sinking. Nearby people were shouting for help.
Zubko saw a man's legs sticking out of the water.
He jumped in, swam 80 feet, and pulled the unconscious stranger away from the vehicle.
Almost three years later, his actions earned him a Carnegie Medal for heroism.
He Had Arrived From Ukraine Just Four Days Earlier
Zubko was a 37-year-old software engineer from Kharkiv, Ukraine.
He arrived in the United States only four days before the September 19, 2023, rescue.
His hometown had endured repeated Russian attacks during the war.
Zubko told CBS New York that explosions had become part of daily life there.
He was staying in Freeport, on Long Island, hoping for a temporary escape from the danger.
He expected a quiet visit. Instead, he found himself in an emergency within days of arriving.
A Loud Crash Came From the Nearby Marina
On the morning of September 19, Zubko was working on his computer.
Around 9 a.m., he heard a loud crash outside.
A vehicle had driven through a waterfront barrier and into a canal near Gordon Place.
When Zubko looked toward the water, he saw an SUV beginning to disappear.
People nearby were calling for help.
He ran outside and spotted the legs of a man partly submerged near the vehicle.
The driver was unconscious.
There was no time to wait for rescuers to reach him.
He Swam 80 Feet to Reach the Stranger
Zubko jumped into the canal and swam approximately 80 feet toward the driver.
According to the Carnegie Hero Fund's investigation, he first grabbed the man's legs.
He pulled him away from the sinking SUV.
Then he shifted his grip, placing an arm beneath the driver's arm.
Zubko began moving the unconscious man toward a dock.
Police officers and other first responders were waiting nearby to help.
It was a dangerous rescue. The vehicle was submerged, and the driver could not assist.
Yet Zubko kept moving until responders could reach them.
The Dock Overturned During the Rescue
The danger did not end when the driver reached the dock.
According to the Carnegie Hero Fund, police and responders pulled the man onto a floating dock and began CPR.
Then the dock overturned.
Zubko, the driver and the emergency workers fell back into the water.
The driver regained consciousness but resisted efforts to help him.
Responders eventually brought him back onto the dock and secured his safety.
He was taken to a hospital for treatment after the crash and submersion.
Zubko was not injured.
Authorities Described the Crash as Intentional
Early news coverage reported that investigators were trying to determine why the SUV entered the canal.
Later findings published by the Carnegie Hero Fund described the crash as intentional.
The organization cited police findings that the driver had attempted to end his life.
The driver's identity was not central to public coverage of Zubko's rescue.
What mattered was that a person in immediate danger survived because others intervened.
Zubko's actions also gave first responders vital time to continue lifesaving care.
He Said He Was Simply Helping Someone
CBS New York interviewed Zubko on the day of the rescue.
He described seeing people calling for assistance while the vehicle sank.
Asked whether he felt frightened, he said events unfolded too quickly to think about the danger.
Zubko also resisted being described as a hero.
“I just helped someone,” he told the station.
Michael Williams of the Freeport Fire Department praised his actions.
Williams joked that he would gladly give Zubko a fire department application if he stayed longer.
The remarks reflected how strongly his quick response impressed local rescuers.
The Carnegie Hero Fund Recognized His Courage
On March 24, 2026, the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission announced 18 new recipients of the Carnegie Medal.
Volodymyr Zubko was among them.
The medal recognizes civilians who risk death or serious injury while saving, or attempting to save, another person.
The commission reviewed Zubko's 2023 rescue before awarding the distinction.
Its account confirmed that he entered the canal, swam 80 feet and brought the unconscious man to responders.
The announcement listed Zubko as living in Mountain View, California, at the time of the award.
His recognition came more than two years after that extraordinary morning in Freeport.
A Newcomer Who Saved a Stranger's Life
Zubko had come to America seeking a temporary break from the dangers surrounding his home in Ukraine.
He had been in the country for only four days.
Then he saw a stranger in danger and decided to act.
The rescue depended on both his initial effort and the emergency responders who continued helping afterward.
But Zubko's willingness to enter the water gave the unconscious driver a chance to survive.
He arrived hoping to find safety for himself. Four days later, he helped bring someone else to safety.
Editor's note: The rescue occurred September 19, 2023. The Carnegie Medal was announced March 24, 2026. The driver survived. This article distinguishes the original rescue from the later recognition.
Sources: Carnegie Hero Fund Commission — official award announcement, March 24, 2026; Carnegie Hero Fund — Volodymyr Zubko's rescue record; CBS New York — Zubko's interview, September 19, 2023; News 12 Long Island — September 19, 2023 report.