A Florida man suspected of drunk driving was filmed trudging through swamp water known to contain alligators while carrying two small children after allegedly running from a crash scene.
Police in Lakeland said the alarming sequence began at about 4am on September 9, when Isaac Kinsey, 27, allegedly drove through a road-closure sign and struck sandbags on Highway 33.
His vehicle eventually stopped after hitting exposed tree roots in a construction area, authorities said, but Kinsey allegedly left the scene on foot.
Responding officers discovered two vacant child safety seats in the vehicle, prompting an urgent search for Kinsey and the children believed to have been with him.
Roughly 30 minutes later, a drone operator located Kinsey in a wooded swamp south of the crash site.
Disturbing drone video showed him moving through the alligator-infested marsh with a two-year-old child and a 10-month-old infant in his arms.
As he struggled across the difficult, waterlogged terrain, Kinsey appeared to fall repeatedly, causing the children to go beneath the water, the footage showed.
At one point, the video appeared to show Kinsey leaving the two-year-old behind while continuing through the swamp with the baby, before falling several more times.
Isaac Kinsey, 27, allegedly fled into alligator-infested swamp water after police said he crashed his car on September 9.
Shocking drone footage captured Kinsey struggling to carry two young children through the marsh.
He was seen falling several times, leaving the two-year-old and 10-month-old underwater
In dramatic body camera video, an officer could be seen racing to the edge of the alligator-infested swamp water to catch up with Kinsey and rescue the children.
‘I could hear them crying in the woods,’ the officer could be heard saying as a baby whimpered at a distance.
When Kinsey then emerged from the water, he put his hands up in surrender, claiming he ‘did not know there was a swamp right here.’
But the officer seemed uninterested in his excuses, as he demanded Kinsey hand over the infant.
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A moment later, he could also be heard encouraging the toddler to come forward.
The children were then promptly taken to a local hospital, where they were treated and released.
As news then got out that the two young children were safe, an officer back at the crash site could be heard saying: ‘Ooh, thank you God for finding those kids.’
Kinsey is now facing three felony charges and eight misdemeanor offenses – including two counts of negligent child abuse with great bodily harm
Police Chief Sammy Taylor said the incident made his ‘blood boil’
Meanwhile, police said Kinsey admitted he was intoxicated as he ‘displayed multiple indicators of impairment.’
He also allegedly had a suspended drivers’ license at the time, and is now facing three felony charges and eight misdemeanor offenses – including two counts of negligent child abuse with great bodily harm.
Police Chief Sammy Taylor told Fox 13 he was left outraged by Kinsey’s lack of care not only for the others on the road, but also for his own children who he’s glad didn’t drown.
‘It was just like a doll he was throwing around, and several times [they] went underneath the water,’ he noted.
‘I’m a father and grandfather, and it just makes your blood boil.’
The department also noted on social media that ‘this incident could have ended with the loss of two innocent lives.
‘The rapid deployment of Lakeland PD’s drone technology, along with the persistence and teamwork of responding officers, helped locate the children in an extremely difficult environment and get them the care they needed.
‘There is no excuse for impaired driving,’ the police department added.
‘We are thankful these children survived and proud of the officers whose actions helped prevent an even greater tragedy.’