A 97-year-old Bohemia woman who became trapped in a submerged car escaped a tragic drowning after a quick-thinking police officer freed her from the locked vehicle and pulled her to safety, Suffolk County police said.
The unidentified woman, who police said drove her car into the water at the Bay Shore Marina at 1:11 p.m. on Saturday, was transported to Southside Hospital after the successful rescue attempt.
Tragedy was averted when a 911 caller alerted police to the submerged car. By the time Third Precinct Officer Nicholas Aspromgos arrived to the scene, the water had reached the woman’s neck, police said. He also noticed that the windows were rolled up and the doors were locked.
Aspromgos broke the window and was able to pull the woman out of the vehicle. A Good Samaritan in the area helped the officer lift the woman to the dock, police said. Members of the Marine Bureau also responded to pull the vehicle from the water.
The woman was being treated for non-life-threatening injuries, police said.