In a late-night effort that underscores the risks faced by the vulnerable, authorities in Boca Raton conducted a rescue operation after a 75-year-old woman drove her car into a canal. According to NBC Miami, the incident occurred earlier today- when the woman called 911 as her vehicle, a white Buick, began to submerge in water at Silver Palm Park.
First responders jumped into action with Boca Raton police and fire rescue teams arriving at the 600 E. Palmetto Park Road location to find the car partly submerged and being pulled by the water's current northward, the woman found herself in a fight for her life; she was in the hospital with life-threatening injuries. A witness at the scene, Mario Fernandez, relayed to authorities that he confirmed someone was trapped inside after inquiring with other bystanders, "They had already called police... I said 'yes, there's one person inside that I saw,'" he recounted in an interview obtained by NBC Miami.
The Boca Raton Police Department spokesperson shared with CBS12 News that the elderly woman made a distress call to police just before midnight, revealing that she had gotten lost before her vehicle ended up in the water.
Thanks to the swift actions of Boca Raton's first responders, a potential tragedy was averted, at least for the moment; while additional details on the woman's condition remained undisclosed, the community's focus is trained on her recovery. "I hope that person is OK," Mario Fernandez said to NBC Miami, echoing the sentiment undoubtedly held by those who witnessed the event and all who now hear of this near fatal slip into the canal's dark water.
