A woman whose car was in the Niagara River just yards from going over the edge was rescued by first responders Wednesday but was pronounced dead once she was brought to land.
Another view of the drastic rescue shows how rapid the currents were in the Niagara River. Derek Gee/The Buffalo News via AP
A US Coast Guard diver holds onto the woman from her sinking car in a dramatic scene. Sharon Cantillon/The Buffalo News via AP
A US Coast Guard diver stands on top of the woman’s car while her vehicle is stuck in the rushing rapids of the Niagara River. AP Photo/ Jeffrey T. BarnesBuffalo News reporter Stephen Watson posted footage of the terrifying scene, showing the car with its trunk open just yards away from the falls.
Video shows a Coast Guard chopper hovering over the car, as a diver is lowered down and pulls the woman from her car. The woman, who New York State Park police said was in her 60s, was the sole occupant of the vehicle.
Authorities watch the US Coast Guard perform the dramatic rescue in Niagara Falls. Larry Kensinger/NC News Service via AP
A US Coast Guard diver pulls the door on his way to rescuing a woman from her submerging car. Derek Gee/The Buffalo News via AP
The woman was eventually pronounced dead after the daring rescue. AP Photo/ Jeffrey T. Barnes
The US Coast Guard diver holds on to the woman high in the air after pulling her out. Sharon Cantillon/The Buffalo News via APThe US Coast Guard Great Lakes division said on Twitter that “Air Station Detroit helicopter crew members hoisted one female from the vehicle in the Niagara River and transferred her to local EMS. The individual was pronounced deceased on scene.”
It is unknown how the car got in the river, but roads were slippery on Wednesday in Niagara Falls due to snow. Police said at a presser that they used a drone to figure out if the car was occupied.
A US Coast Guard rescue diver removes a passenger from a vehicle in the water at the brink of Niagara Falls on Dec. 8, 2021. AP
First responders monitor a car partially submerged in the Niagara River near the brink of American Falls in Niagara Falls, NY, on Dec. 8, 2021. APCops got witness reports that a car entered the water between the Goat Island pedestrian bridge and the vehicle bridge on the American side of the falls, according to the Buffalo News. They told the outlet the woman, who has yet to be identified, was local to western New York.
Park Police Capt. Christopher Rola said “it was just an incredible job by the Coast Guard,” who acted quickly.
After the rescue, the car remained about 50 yards from the brink of Niagara falls, the Associated Press reported. Emergency crews were trying to dredge it from the river.
Gov. Kathy Hochul in a tweet thanked the first responders and said the New York Power Authority aided the rescue mission by lowering the levels of the Niagara River.
A US Coast Guard helicopter arrives at the scene of a car partially submerged in the Niagara River. AP
A first responder pulls a driver from a car partially submerged in the Niagara River near the brink of American Falls in Niagara Falls, NY, on Dec. 8, 2021. APMore than 6 million cubic feet of water goes over the massive falls that sits on the US/Canada border every minute.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.
