METAIRIE -- Deilyn Silva remains in critical condition Tuesday night after her car hit an icy spot in the road and crashed into a Metairie Canal. The accident killed her 8-month-old son, Kollage Le Silva.
In the face of this tragedy, witnesses are clinging to the heroic actions of bystanders who jumped in and attempted to save the mother and child.
Ethan Nicosia was headed to his parent's house Wednesday morning when the worst case scenario played out before his eyes.
"I see a car go up on the curve and I see it go down into the culvert and she flipped in upside down," Nicosia recounted.
in that moment, instinct took over. He put his car in park and leaped into the canal.
"I didn't think I just did it, jumped on the car and started beating on the window," Nicosia said.
When those windows failed to give way Nicosia, with the help of other bystanders, chained the car to his jeep and began pulling it from the icy waters. Knowing every second counts, another man grabbed a hammer from the back of his truck.
"He said 'here,' I looked back and he threw me a hammer so I busted out both the windows," Nicosia said. "We pulled her to the side and tried to get her up the bank."
But then the rescue mission went from bad to worse.
"We saw diapers float up to the top and we knew there was a baby in there," Nicosia said.
He raced back to the car, now joined by Jefferson Parish fire fighters.
"We were reaching down in there and found the baby," Nicosia said.
Nicosia later learned the baby was 8-month-old Kollage La Silva.
"I'm really upset the baby died," Nicosia said. "I feel very sad for the family and my thoughts go out to them. I can't imagine what they're going through right now."
The baby's mother, Deilyn, remains in critical condition. In the face of so much pain, those who witnessed the tragedy are touched by the heroic actions of strangers.