A woman who died after her submerged car was found near the brink of Niagara Falls, "deliberately and intentionally" drove into the waterway, according to New York State Park Police.
As reported by People, investigators stated that an unnamed woman in her 60s was pulled from the car by a Coast Guard diver around 50 yards from the Falls.
In a statement to the outlet, Detective-Sergeant Brian Nisbet with the New York State Park Police said the information authorities have received so far indicates that the woman "deliberately and intentionally drove her car into the upper Niagara River and the rapids" on Wednesday.
Nisbet also explained that investigators are currently interviewing friends and family of the deceased local.
The New York State Park Police initially confirmed the tragic incident on social media, writing that a number of agencies responded to the scene after receiving reports of a vehicle "approximately 75 yards above the brink of the American Falls."
According to police, "the vehicle entered the water upriver from the pedestrian bridge and floated toward the brink before coming to rest."
Nisbet told People that the car came into the water at 11:42 AM and that police began receiving emergency calls "pretty much immediately afterward."
A video shared by the NYS Park Police shows how the vehicle was almost entirely submerged in the water. The trunk of the car is open, as well as some of the windows.
Police were not able to make a land rescue, meaning the U.S. Coast Guard had to intervene by sending out a helicopter and rescue swimmer.
According to Nisbet, the Coast Guard helicopter did not arrive until 2 PM, more than two hours after the car had come into the waters. The woman was pulled from the car soon after.
Sadly, she did not survive the incident, as she succumbed to her "injuries and/or the elements," the Police Benevolent Association (PBA) of New York State confirmed in a press release.
As of Thursday, the vehicle had remained submerged, for the most part, in the Niagara River, about 50 yards from the edge of the falls.
"It's a tragic event and we don't like seeing these," Nisbet said. "I've been here 31 years and this is a first."
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