SARVER (KDKA) — For Christine Marty, it’s an experience that’s still hard to comprehend.

“It’s just started to sink in over the past weekend what really happened,” she said.

As she and her mother, Marion, were returning home from a shopping and movie day, they too were swept up by the deadly flash flood on Washington Boulevard.

They escaped from their car and became separated in the water. That’s when Christine found 69-year-old Romy Connolly trapped in her car.

“It was so out of control,” she told KDKA-TV. “I finally said, ‘God, if you are going to take me, take me now. Take me quickly.’”

As far as Christine was concerned, Romy Connolly was not going to die.

“I wasn’t scared. I knew I could swim,” she said. “I knew that she needed help and that was just kind of what I thought made sense.”

It wasn’t easy. Romy Connolly is fighting cancer, can’t swim and was panicking.

“She said, ‘I’m losing strength. I think I’m just going to let go. I’m just gonna let go.’

“I said, ‘No, you’re not!” Christine said. “There’s no way you’re going to let go!”

Christine kept her cool, prayed, talked and sang songs with Romy. And she saved her life.

“There’s no words I can tell this girl. ‘You saved my life.’ If it wasn’t for her, I would have been dead, inside the vehicle,” Romy said.

“I’m just happy that she’s okay. It was lovely to hear her voice and hear that she’s doing well,” Christine said.

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