Coast Guard crews airlifted the body of a woman, which was thrashing near Niagara Falls’ edge on Wednesday morning, from her vehicle.
Videos posted to Twitter documented the horrifying moment Wednesday afternoon, after the woman was stuck in the car about 50 yards from the brink of the Falls for about two hours as snow fell down on the area. It was found on the American side, near Prospect Point in New York.
Officials stated that the woman did not move when they arrived at the scene around noon.
Coast Guard personnel were able to drop from a helicopter south of the car on wires, cut down the passenger-side doors with an ax, and then free the woman from the car. However, she soon realized that she was already dead.
WHAM reported that the victim was an elderly woman from Park Police. She may not have done so intentionally or accidentally.
Crews had begun to remove the vehicle from Falls at 2 p.m., but they said that they don’t believe the car has any evidence value.
After a vehicle fell in the Niagara River Wednesday afternoon, rescue crews quickly arrived at the scene and quickly approached Niagara Falls.
A Coast Guard member pulled the driver from his car, which was only 100 feet away from falling over Niagara Falls.
US Coast Guard Rescue Driver removed the passenger of the vehicle from the Falls edge and flew the body to safety.
Coast Guard crews were already able rescue the woman, aged 66 years old.
In an effort to rescue the driver trapped by the Coast Guard, one Coast Guard member prepared to plunge into the River.
State Park police stated in a conference that witnesses saw the car entering the Goat island water just moments prior to receiving calls about the car floating downstream and getting trapped on rocks.
The river water was washing across the windshield and reaching the bottom of vehicles’ side windows.
Captain Chris Rola explained that the crews were quick to determine, based on the location of the car, that no swift water rescue team could attempt to save it.
He also said that, while the Coast Guard helicopter was waiting to arrive at the scene, park officers used a drone for a visual inspection of the vehicle’s contents and attempted to identify the license plates.
Rola wouldn’t release the victim’s name until Wednesday afternoon when her family received notification of her passing.
Officials were able to use a drone in order to find out how many passengers were inside the car and obtain a license plate.
Dozens of police officers and firefighters remained on the scene Wednesday afternoon, including a Niagara County sheriff’s helicopter.
Syracuse.com reports that one state park officer was seen in diving gear.