Onlookers were shocked as a woman driving across a frozen river in Canada crashed through the ice and plunged into the freezing water. But that isn’t the shocking part of this story. It seems that residents in Old Mill Way were further confused by the whole scenario when the driver stopped and posed for a selfie on the rear of her sinking car.
The woman, who has not yet been named by authorities, plunged into the Rideau River on Sunday evening at around 4:30 p.m., after wintery conditions seemingly froze the river solid.
As local people scurried to mount a rescue attempt, the woman was spotted taking a selfie to immortalize the moment, or something like that.
According to local news channel CTV News Ottawa, a group of quick-thinking locals sprang into action to rescue the woman as she stood on the roof of her car. Two residents used a kayak and a rope to pull the driver of the yellow car to safety.
Police said there were no reported injuries to the driver or her rescuers.
Zachary King, one of the onlookers who organized the rescue attempt, told CTV News Ottawa: “Everything worked out perfectly, we got her on the kayak, pulled her in and as soon as we pulled her in the car went under full.”
Prior to the rescue, King said he was shocked to see the stricken motorist snap a selfie as she stood on the rear of her car.
King added: “We pulled her out and were like, ‘what the hell were you doing?,’ and she was like ‘oh just having fun’.”
Local news reports featured footage of the woman driving “above 60 kph,” or about 37 mph, over the frozen river prior to her crash.
As a result, the driver of the car has been charged with one count of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle under the Criminal Code of Canada.
While the woman has been rescued from the scene, the car remains stuck at the bottom of the frozen river. Police said it “could pose as a hazard for curious onlookers venturing out on the ice.”