Woman rescued from West Lake after being trapped in sinking vehicle

PARIS - Shortly after 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, a call was placed to 911 from the West Lake in Paris. The emergency phone call came from a bystander who said while they were fishing from the dock, they heard a loud splash.

The splash came from a vehicle driving into the lake. The concerned citizen told 911 dispatch they could see the driver inside the car as it began to submerge.

The caller was not the only one to notice the sinking vehicle and driver; a group of young women at the lake also heard the splash and saw the vehicle in the water. The group immediately dove into action, entering the water in an attempt to rescue the trapped driver.

Their attempts were successful and after exiting the water with the driver, the women were met by first responders.

“Those bystanders were the ones that saved her,” first responder Adam Webb told a Prairie Press reporter on the scene. “If they hadn’t been here, it’d be a different story.”

The driver is in stable condition and was taken by ambulance to receive non-emergent care. 

This is a developing story and The Prairie Press will provide additional information if and when it becomes available.