A man nearly drowned last Wednesday when the golf cart he was belted into was driven into a pond.

Montcalm County Sheriff Deputies responded to the scene of the accident on West Peck Road in Montcalm Township on Wednesday, July 14, at 7:52 p.m. Deputies determined that an 8-year-old Greenville boy had been driving the cart, with an 8-year-old female as a passenger on the back, and Spencer Sowles, 23, a special needs man from Hollister, was belted in.

Police said the group had bee riding the golf cart on property adjacent to where the incident occurred. They believe a mechanical malfunction may have caused the accelerator to stick as the cart was heading towards the pond. The young boy and girl were able to jump off as it went into the pond, while the man remained belted. The kids then ran to a residence on South Lake Road for help.

Blake Doolittle, 26, of Greenville, responded to the children’s cries for help. He jumped into the pond and dove down into 10 to 12 feet of water and unbelted Sowles and brought him to the surface. Family members administered first aid until emergency personnel arrived.

Sowles was transported to United Memorial Hospital in Greenville, and later to Blodgett Hospital, in critical condition. His current condition was unknown at press time.