MENASHA (NBC 26) — A woman and her toddler escaped a potentially tragic situation after their car drove into a marina in Menasha on Tuesday night.
Watch Kyle Langellier's full broadcast story here:
The driver lost control of the vehicle, accidentally hitting the gas instead of the brakes, sending the car through a fence and into the water after bumping a boat.
Seconds after the car went into the water, a bystander jumped the fence to help while the driver managed to free herself and her toddler, who was strapped in a car seat in the backseat.
"We are extremely grateful for that community member, we're grateful for the heroic actions of the mother to have the presence of mind to not only get herself out of the vehicle, but make it into the backseat and to take a child out of a car seat," said Officer Matthew Roe, Menasha Police Community Liaison.
The bystander helped the pair out of the water, and there were no severe injuries reported.
Sam Bradley, who cleans boats at the marina, witnessed a crane lifting the car out of the water on Tuesday.
"I've been cleaning a lot of boats and I've never seen a car come out of a marina....seen a lot of boats hoisted out, never a car," Bradley said.
A diver who helped clean the wreck reported that the water was pitch black.
"This story would have ended in a much more tragic way, and we're just so glad that it ended in a positive story," Roe said.
Menasha police expect to issue citations to the driver but say the act was accidental.
Cleanup started around noon on Tuesday, and by Tuesday evening, besides minor damage to the fence, there was barely a trace of the incident.
