A Car Crashed Into The Water Above Niagara Falls & Rescuers Tried To Save The Driver (PHOTOS)
The dramatic rescue attempt happened on the American side of the falls.
Niagara Falls visitors stumbled upon a terrifying scene on the U.S. side of the landmark on Wednesday, after a car went into the river and got stuck in the rushing rapids just before the drop.
New York State Police confirmed to Narcity that there was a vehicle in the water near Niagara Falls Wednesday afternoon.
The U.S. Coast Guard sent a helicopter and tried to save the driver in a dramatic rescue effort, but she did not survive.
Buffalo News reporter Stephen T. Watson documented the terrifying ordeal in a now-viral Twitter thread, which shows the car stranded and nearly submerged just a few dozen feet away from the edge.
“A car is in the Niagara River near the brink of the falls,” he tweeted at the beginning of the thread.
His photos and videos show choppy water rolling over and rocking the car near the edge of the falls, and only the very top parts of the vehicle's interior are visible.
It’s hard to see how many people are in the car but a helicopter eventually shows up, and a rescuer drops down on a rope to get to the person inside.
The rescuer ultimately manages to get the person out of the car and the helicopter carries them both away.
The woman was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead, New York State Park Police Capt. Christopher Rola said.
The victim was a local woman in her 60s, police said. She has not been identified.
"We have never had a vehicle in the water this close," Rola told local station WIVB.
He added that the car went into the water just after 12 p.m. and police are still trying to figure out why.
The car was still in the water near the edge of the falls on Wednesday afternoon. Officials are reportedly trying to find a way to remove it without sending it over the edge.