Black Friday Worker Rescued From Canal After Losing Control Of Car Due To Exhaustion

A 36-year-old Target employee drove her car into a 20-foot-deep canal after working the night shift on Black Friday.

Florida police said the woman lost control of her vehicle due to exhaustion, reports Miami New Times.

The woman is unable to swim but managed to call police from her cellphone and explain the situation as she and the car began to sink, notes NBC Miami.

Palm Beach County sheriff's deputy Frank Mayo dove into the canal to save the unidentified woman, reports The Palm Beach Post.

"Our thoughts are with the team member and her family for a speedy recovery," Jessica Carlson, a Target spokeswoman told the Palm Beach Post.

The car accident comes after a slew of retailers, including Target, made the decision to open at 12 a.m. on November 25 to accommodate Black Friday shoppers. This required employees to arrive at 11 p.m. on Thanksgiving to prepare the store for an influx of shoppers.

Target said the decision to open earlier on Black Friday was popular with both employees and customers.

But at least one Target employee wasn't enthusiastic. Anthony Hardwick started up a petition on Change.org asking for reasonable working hours over Thanksgiving, reports The New York Times.

Though Target never changed its opening hours, the petition went viral and received over 100,000 comments from across the country.

Comments

[Carol Thacker Pullen]

09:36 AM on 11/30/2011

I hope this woman knows that this constitutes a work related injury. Most states cover injuries if you can prove, all be it for the job, I would not have been hurt in this manner. Hope she files for any medical expenses.

[trjones87]

01:06 AM on 11/30/2011

Working a shift on Black Friday is very exhaustive. I work in retail and had to be at my job by 2:30 so we could open at 3 am. That meant that I had to wake up at about 1 am and leave home at 1:45 to ensure that I got there on time. And out of shear fear of over sleeping I was only able to shut my eyes for a good hour. Mind you, I had to work from 2:30 am to 1:30 pm in the afternoon for a popular retailer that only allowed its employees a 30 min lunch break that day. By the time I got off work I was extremely tired and my feet were hurting. Thankfully, I had a family member pick me up so that I wouldn't have to drive home in that condition, but not everyone has that luxury.

And people need to remember that these employees aren't used to working such late hours and definitely not for such long increments of time. I'm just happy that no one was seriously injured.

[cchpounder]

07:38 PM on 11/29/2011

It is called coffee people. If you are called into work at midnight, drink some. Also, I might add that I worked at Target for almost a whole year and rarely was given a shift longer than 6 or 7 hours. If you can't work that length of time without collapsing from exhaustion you are pathetic. The other thing is too, if you don't want to work for whatever reason, just call in sick. Target is a huge corporation and nobody ever cared when people called in at my store. The LOD just called somebody else in and offered them the shift.

[Tina Rutkowski]

10:01 PM on 11/29/2011

I am a nurse and understand working doubles and almost triples, changing shifts, abnormal sleep patterns, etc.
perhaps this woman was up at 6 a.m. putting her turkey in the oven? then had to do the rest of the dinner.. was up all day worked all night.
these were not normal working hours for this woman. check out "changing shifts" and how they affect sleep cycles.

[beigs dmb]

11:20 AM on 11/29/2011

Workers aren't typically given a choice. If we are told to work, then we work, exhausted or not, or we loose our jobs (i can't lose mine). I know that I have gotten behind the wheel exhausted, and had to pull over to take naps at the side of the road. Baby sitters cost a lot of money, as do cabs, and some times it's just too much. While i can't condone what she did, i have had to make similar decisions in my life. I'm just happy she wasn't hurt, nor did she hurt anyone.

Mind you, this is about as safe as drinking and driving.

[James119]

05:11 PM on 11/30/2011

How tragic a woman almost lost her life and the lack of compassion demonstrated by anonymous people online. We consumers have a choice. If retailers thought there was nobody coming they wouldn't force employees to come in at midnight. I vote with my shopping dollars- let your employees stay home for the holidays, I'll buy online. I'd rather pay a few dollars more or just not buy that big ticket item rather than join the frenzy; it's all too ironic that the day after we give thanks (Thanksgiving) is characterized by Greed. I shopped for a flat screen TV this year and bought it online from a company that had a month long sale. I got a better price than any cyber Monday deals I could find and a 90 day return policy at my local store. NO need for stress or risk to anyone's life. Think before you buy.

[Customex]

11:12 AM on 11/29/2011

Facilities costs for any building/store run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There are no holidays for rent, mortgages, property taxes or most utilities costs. The businesses survive on income. There is only income when there are customers. The trend is for more stores to be open more hours and more days. There are all kinds of consumers. Some like to be first for best selection, others like to shop when it's not crowded. The successful businesses are the ones that most accurately read the motivations of potential customers. For the overall economy to improve, businesses must become more successful. Unfortunately there are likely numerous incidents involving employees from many companies, trying to get to and from their jobs. Trying to transfer the accountability to the employer will never improve the risk aversion skills of the employee. I hope she learns how to be more careful.

[Space Chief]

10:04 PM on 11/29/2011

I'm sure you would have had an excuse for the owners of the shirtwaist company too.

You know how pathetic you sound? Sheesh - there's more to life than some jack wang's profit.

I'm a business owner of comfortable success. So, it isn't like I don't know what it costs to run a business. I frequently consult to other successful businesses as well. The stuff the big stores do to take advantage of a screwed economy is quite pathetic.

[PurpleTwilite]

10:26 AM on 11/29/2011

And let's also note, that on top of the horrific night for the local police, which I am sure they had a lot of calls, she made these rescue workers work extra to pull her out of the water. I am sure they would have loved to be home with their families too, but someone has to pull people like her out of the water. I feel bad for them, not her. Let's just be grateful that she didn't hit anyone else before throwing herself into the lake.

[PurpleTwilite]

10:15 AM on 11/29/2011

She was 36, not a minor. If you are an adult and choose to operate under the hours set forth by the employment you sought, then deal with it the work. I am sure there are construction workers that are exhausted after their shifts right towards deadline. There are military who work 18+ hour shifts. There are nurses and doctors who work days on end. People do it all the time, but it is part of the job they requested. If she was too exhausted to drive, she was a danger to those on the road, including herself and she should have called for a ride or gotten a taxi. It is the same principle as if you were out drinking. Be responsible before getting into your vehicle. I have no sympathy for the woman. I work retail and I had a lot of hours over the holiday as well, but you know what, I knew what I was in for when I took the job.

[Stephen Stofflet]

12:52 PM on 11/29/2011

How wonderfully sympathetic of you.

[Space Chief]

10:07 PM on 11/29/2011

Can you actually breathe through all the feces that are obviously caked upon your face?

[TexasTreader]

09:08 AM on 11/29/2011

36 years old and working at Target, living in a state that's 50% water and not knowing how to swim... Yeah, exhaustion's her problem.

[dmfischetti]

08:15 PM on 11/29/2011

But what is your problem??? All of these negative, hypocritical, judgemental, unsympathetic comments leaves me to believe that most of you are just PERFECT & were never involved in an accident in you entire lives (so far). Chances are tha you will be & then you will know why they are called ACCIDENTS.

[Rian Spear]

09:21 AM on 11/30/2011

WIN!

[DXM]

08:53 AM on 11/29/2011

"Target said the decision to open earlier on Black Friday was popular with both employees and customers."

What a joke! I'm sure it was popular with customers (at least the thin slice of the population who can't resist a bargain and had nothing else to do in the wee hours of the night after a family-oriented holiday). But I doubt that any of the employees would have been in a position to complain even if management bothered to ask. I'm sure if an employee complained, first of all management would NOT have admitted it to the media. Secondly, that employee would have been shown he door and replaced by one of the hundreds of applicants desperate for a job.

[Kevin Rayburn]

03:08 AM on 11/29/2011

she did sink it in style.

[youcantfoolmothernature]

11:38 PM on 11/28/2011

"team member"?

[Tom Mc Laughlin]

01:11 AM on 11/29/2011

That's what they call their employees.

[youcantfoolmothernature]

09:20 AM on 11/29/2011

Thanks. Yes, I realize companies use that terminology, but it often seems management is not part of any "teamwork".

[debbysteinberg]

11:25 PM on 11/28/2011

I will not be shopping at Target or any store that participates in such ridiculous practices. UNbelievable.

[MissFrijole]

09:29 AM on 11/29/2011

I don't think you will be able to avoid stores that hold up such practices because there aren't enough smaller stores or mom-and-pop shops to get the things you need. It's like trying to boycott buying anything made in China...EVERYTHING is made in China these days.

[beigs dmb]

11:08 AM on 11/29/2011

I have made a point to get hand made items off of etsy. It's like ebay but for crafts

[Rasputin66]

02:34 AM on 12/04/2011

You don't have to COMPLETELY boycott a store to have a positive impact. I go to Walmart to buy printer ink, for instance. But every time you buy an onion at a farmer's market, it helps a tiny little bit to loosen Walmart's stranglehold.

[Rian Spear]

09:23 AM on 11/30/2011

You fail. You're embarrassing.

[Bill Ster]

11:04 PM on 11/28/2011

"I has seen the enemy, and they is us". Friends, lets all face it. If this sort of thing is to end, we have to be the ones to end it. Does anyone truly believe they would open the store at midnight if the shoppers stayed away? All we have to do is refuse to give in to their blandishments. Does it bother you to see Christmas decorations in stores before Halloween? Don't just grumble, tell the store manager. Then ask him for the name and phone number of his superior so you can tell them too! Annoyed at stores that were opening on Thanksgiving? Let them know! E-mail them, or post it on their Facebook page. Tell them you spent Thanksgiving with your family and that you feel their employees should have had the chance to do the same. If more and more of us sound off, if we tell the retailers "sure, go ahead and open at Midnight, I'll be home sleeping" I guarantee things will change. All it takes is enough of us to put our collective feet down and say, as Popeye used to "That's all I can stands, I can't stands no more!" We can do it!

[Mike Clark II]

10:44 PM on 11/28/2011

the sad thing is many of the stores operating in the black opened at midnight, when stores in the red opened at 4 and 6 am. how wrong is that? even stores doing bad know or want their employees to have time with their families

[UnqlDaddy]

08:09 PM on 11/28/2011

When I worked at Target, I worked an 8 hour shift, got off at 8pm then went straight to a party, got drunk, went to IHOP with my friends, then they dropped me back off at work at 4am and I stumbled back in and worked another 8 hour shift and then drove home, and passed out on the living room couch, managing to stay dry the whole time. No sympathy here.

[Vibradiant]

10:48 PM on 11/28/2011

Sorry. Meant to reply, not give you approval.

First: slow, sarcastic clapping for the fact that you won whatever lottery involves genes, perhaps youth, and other good luck. You should be so very proud that YOU can abuse your system at present and poke fun at people not so lucky. (not)

Second: there may come a day that you've burnt your wick to low to properly continue to recover your health and energy, and your past arrogant (but ignorant) pride will ring hollow in your ears.

Finally: how do you know what else this person had happening in her life? Kids? Ailing parents? Past injuries, health concerns, abusive spouse, massive financial problems?

When your time comes, thankfully you won't expect sympathy, right?

[jragga]

11:32 PM on 11/28/2011

Women generally can't drive so her plunking her car in the drink doesn't surprise me...

[apringlez]

03:20 AM on 11/29/2011

I was in the Army and did staff duty and CQ shifts. Even the Army gave us the day off and were concerned if we drove after staying up late.

[debbysteinberg]

11:25 PM on 11/28/2011

Who cares.