ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – A person was critically injured Friday morning when a car sped into the water off the Vilano Boat Ramp around 6:08 a.m. in an incident that was captured on surveillance video.
Authorities have not said how many people were in the car, but at least one person was taken to the hospital and was in critical condition.
The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, St. Augustine Police Department, St. Johns County Fire Rescue, and St. Augustine Fire Department worked together to rescue the person from the water.
Video captured the car speeding down the boat ramp into the water and bystanders quickly reacting.
A Good Samaritan was seen on video jumping into the water in an attempt to rescue the individual. Another witness rushed to drop their boat into the water to help until emergency crews arrived.
The SJSO Dive Team was called to pull the car from the water after it became submerged.
A witness told News4JAX they saw a woman in the car.
The boat ramp was closed Friday morning as the St. Augustine Police Department continued investigating. As of 11 a.m., the boat ramp had reopened, according to a livestream from St. Augustine Live.
Here are some safety tips to keep in mind if you do get submerged underwater:
- Stay calm
- Take immediate action
- Follow SWOC: Seatbelts off, windows open, out immediately, children first
News4JAX is working to gather more information. We will update this article as soon as we have further details.