A woman was found dead after Coast Guard personnel attempted to rescue her from a trapped vehicle in the rapids of Niagara Falls, police said.
State Park Police Captain Chris Rola has not said if the woman, an unidentified 60-year-old, intentionally drove into the water or by accident, Buffalo News reported. A state parks spokeswoman confirmed Wednesday afternoon that the woman died.
Police and fire crew stood by as a Coast Guard helicopter hovered over the vehicle. A diver, carrying an ax, was lowered from the helicopter and pulled the woman from the passenger side door. The car sat approximately 30 feet from land and became mostly submerged in the rapids, according to Buffalo News. (RELATED: Ship Stuck On Niagara Falls Rocks For More Than 100 Years Moves 150+ Meters During Strong Storm)
DRAMATIC VIDEO: The U.S. Coast Guard made a daring rescue attempt Wednesday at the edge of Niagara Falls, dropping a diver from a helicopter to pull a body out of a car that somehow entered the rapids about 50 yards from the edge of the falls. https://t.co/Nrn9dY7Gmo pic.twitter.com/OMaYznePqF
— News 4 Buffalo (@news4buffalo) December 8, 2021
Law enforcement used a police drone to scan the vehicle’s license plate and assess whether there were others in the car. Authorities confirmed the woman was dead before the Coast Guard diver was able to reach her, Buffalo News reported.
The New York Power Authority lowered water levels in an attempt to facilitate the rescue attempt.
“We have never had a vehicle in the water this close” to the edge of Niagara Falls, Rola told WIVB4.