Body pulled from car on brink of falls in Niagara River

A U.S. Coast Guard diver lowered from the sky Wednesday braved frigid rapids to get to a car partly submerged in water near the brink of Niagara Falls, only to find it was too late to rescue the driver trapped inside.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Derrian Duryea, a Detroit-based rescue swimmer, descended from a hovering helicopter, climbed into the car and pulled out the body of its lone occupant, a woman in her 60s, officials from New York’s State Park Police and Coast Guard said.

Several videos showed Duryea, in an orange suit and with an axe in his left hand, buffeted by winds and spraying water as he was lowered toward the car through the falling snow. After slowly spinning and swinging past the car, he was able to grab hold on the passenger side, open the door and disappear inside.

About two minutes later, with water surging around the vehicle and over the precipice about 50 yards (meters) downstream, Duryea emerged and signaled to the helicopter, which then hoisted him and the motionless driver from the water.

“It was an incredible job by the Coast Guard,” Park Police Capt. Christopher Rola said at a news conference. He said rescuers have never been called to a vehicle so close to the edge. It was unclear how the car got into the Niagara River.

Witnesses reported seeing it floating near a pedestrian bridge, where it was believed to have gone in. Roads in the area were slippery amid the light snow.

State Park police confirmed a woman in her late 60s was pulled from the vehicle. Authorities said the woman lived in the area. Her name was not released pending notification of relatives.

“The water levels were lowered by the Power Authority, drones and the Niagara County Sheriff helicopter were used to determine any vehicle occupants. One body was observed in the driver seat,” New York Park Police said in a statement.

After the rescue, the vehicle remained about 50 yards (meters) from the brink of the American Falls, one of three waterfalls that make up Niagara Falls. Onlookers watched as emergency crews prepared to try to pull the vehicle from the water.