Woman dead after car plunges into river, floats dangerously close to brink of Niagara Falls
A woman is dead after the vehicle she was driving plunged into a river and floated dangerously close to the brink of Niagara Falls.
New York State Parks Police confirmed they were called before 12 p.m. on Wednesday after the car became stuck in the rapids less than 100 metres from the American side of the falls.
Police said they determined from eye witnesses that there was at least one occupant in the vehicle and an emergency operation was launched.
A U.S. Coast Guard diver is lowered from a hovering helicopter to pull a body from a submerged vehicle stuck in rushing rapids just yards from the brink of American Falls, one of three waterfalls that make up Niagara Falls, Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021, in Niagara Falls, N.Y. (AP Photo/ Jeffrey T. Barnes)
According to police, water levels in Niagara River were lowered by the Power Authority, while drones and a helicopter were used to get a closer look at the vehicle.
A diver was then lowered from a hovering helicopter, climbed into the car and pulled out the body out of the driver's seat, authorities said.
“It was an incredible job by the Coast Guard,” Park Police Capt. Christopher Rola said at a news conference Wednesday.
Police said a Western New York woman, aged in her late 60s and local to the area, was pronounced dead.
A U.S. Coast Guard rescue diver is lowered toward the vehicle lodged in the water at the brink of Niagara Falls, Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021. (Derek Gee/Buffalo News via AP)
Police said they are not able to confirm at this time why the vehicle ended up in the river.
New York State Parks Police said the Canadian Coast Guard was also called in as part of the investigation.
Roads in the area were slippery as a light snow fell when the incident occurred.
Authorities said the car remains in the river while they determine the "best course of action to remove it."
Rola said rescuers have never before been called for a vehicle that ended up so close to the edge of Niagra Falls.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
NEW Iconic Canadian song turns 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Prince Harry, Meghan arrive in Nigeria to champion the Invictus Games and meet with wounded soldiers
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, arrived in Nigeria on Friday to champion the Invictus Games, which he founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans, among them Nigerian soldiers fighting a 14-year war against Islamic extremists.
Countries struggle to draft 'pandemic treaty' to avoid mistakes made during COVID
After the coronavirus pandemic triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies and killed millions, leaders at the World Health Organization and worldwide vowed to do better in the future. Years later, countries are still struggling to come up with an agreed-upon plan for how the world might respond to the next global outbreak.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.