January 2nd, on our way to Church.

It happened January 2nd, 2011, about 9:30 am.

We hit ice on the road going out of Imbler towards LaGrande. I was driving and Ashley was in the passenger seat next to me. Joella was behind her. We were just passed the Speed 55 sign, speeding up from 20 to 30 in 4wd. I went to pass the small comact car, going about 30. It was obviously having a hard time driving. I was slowly pulling around it, but I hit some ice that was over the passing line.

Then, suddenly we spun a 180. The back flipped around front and we hit the other side of the road and the tires on my side lifted off the ground. Ashley and I were screaming "shit" over and over.

Quickly, we rolled and flipped onto the top. Ashley's window exploded in on us. We landed on the roof, upsidedown. Everything fell down and we braced ourselves. It landed on and crashed through about 4 inches of ice. We started sinking into the water. Joella immediately unbuckled and crawled out the back window, which has also shattered. I tried to undo my seat belt as well but my seatbelt was stuck and so was my door. About 10 inches of water had come in when I grabbed my phone from my pocket and started calling 911. All the while, I was pushing my seat belt and throwing my body against my door. The operater couldn't hear me give her details. "Hello? Is anybody there? I can't hear you." That's then I started just screaming for help over and over.

Ashley crawled out when I called. I didn't know how deep we were in the water, so I thought I'd crawl out my window after I got my seatbelt undone. I pushed the button and watched my window open.

Water gushed in my window as soon as I opened it. So I grabbed a breath as it came over my head. I sucked in a little water, but not too much.Then I just held it under then freezing mucky water while the cab filled - which was fast, I'd say probably filled in under 15 seconds.I freaked out cause my buckle was still stuck and the water was freezing (obviously... it was 16 outside and this was under ice.) Once the car filled with water, the weight shifted and it sunk deeper really suddenly. When it did, my seat came down and hit me in the back. That's when my buckle gave. But the seat pushed me against what I think was the dash. It disoriented me and I was sorta pinned. I think I kept blacking out, cause everything from then on in the water is sort of jumbled.

I kept telling myself not to let my breath go. I thought I was gonna die about then, cause my lungs started stinging really bad and I started losing air. The next thing I remember is being pulled out and seeing a face through the murky water. Then gasping really big. Then my head fell down and I head the man, who was still holding me up, say "can you stand up?" and he let go. I took one step but I fell down and started crawling up the snow bank screaming for the girls and coughing up water. They said they ran to me, but I don't remember that. I just remember that somebody else grabbed me and I saw a fire truck and another white truck. He put me in his truck with the girls and his wife told me to take off our wet clothes or we'd get hypothermia.

So joella and ashley helped me undress and they gave us their sweaters and two towels. Then, we poored out boots out in the guy's truck (sorry about that.) A parametic from the fire dept. came and asked us if we were okay, but I was too numb to really know yet. Joella had a headache and ashley was just shocked still. They took us to the fire station to warm up with quilts and dry clothes by a heater.

Joella said when I was in, she ran back into the water waist deep and was yelling "Get my sister out!" while trying to open my door to get me out. But the man who evenutaully pulled me out (who left after he got me out.. I never saw him... they said some guy in his 20s) told her to get out of the water. Apparently, Ashley as screaming nonscence about the accident while slipping on the ice on her butt over and over. They thought I was dead or dying cause I was there so long.

I was under for a long time, minute to two minutes, they said.

I went to the ER last night because I couldn't breathe. I was hyperventalating for about an hour.

They said my body is still in shock from the heavy trauma. X-rays showed no serious lung injury and the doctor said I have heavy PTSD. He said this could last months...

Physically, we are all just bruised and banged up a bit, but nothing that can't heal with time. Joella got hit in the head pretty hard and is bruised on her face. We are all bruised all over. I have most of my bruises on my waist from trying to get out of the seatbelt.

We just need prayers right now for healing physically, emotionally, and mentally. We wake up in panic attacks at night. Last night I kpet losing my breath and would wake up in a panic cause I thought I was underwater. This morning, I woke up crying.

I'll have pictures of the car soon from the police station.

Thank GOD we are alive and well.. we are VERY thankful to all be together. And we want to find the man who pulled me out! So if you know him... please contact him for us! Also, thanks to everyone else who came out to help. We really wouldn't be here if it weren't for the help that came.