The Ocala Police Department has released body camera footage showing the dramatic rescue of an unconscious woman who was trapped in a car that had crashed into a retention pond in southwest Ocala.
At around 9:20 p.m. on Thursday, October 3, several Ocala Fire Rescue units responded to the Fore Ranch subdivision in reference to a vehicle that was “in a pond,” according to OFR.
Several residents reported that an SUV had accelerated through the subdivision’s entry gate. OFR stated that the vehicle then struck a “controlled access unit” before leaving the roadway and becoming submerged in the pond.
Upon arrival at the pond located behind SW 54th Circle, OFR crews observed Ocala Police Department officers who were breaking the glass of a compact SUV that was in the water.
Firefighters immediately approached the SUV and helped the officers extricate the woman from the car. After she was safely removed from the vehicle, several OPD officers returned to the vehicle to ensure that no children were inside. After conducting an interior search, they confirmed that the woman was the sole occupant.
OFR paramedics checked on the extricated woman and quickly determined that she was “suffering a medical emergency.” She was rushed to a local hospital as a trauma alert, according to OFR.
In an update on Friday, October 4, Ocala police stated that the woman remains hospitalized in critical condition. Her identity was not released by law enforcement.
There were no other injuries reported.
The crash is currently under investigation, according to OPD.