Grandma goes for terrifying plunge into lake after grandson gets out of driver's seat

VAN BUREN TWP, Mich. (WJBK) - An elderly woman was rescued after she went for a terrifying ride when her grandson got out of the car and it somehow slipped into neutral.

The woman was pulled from the water in Van Buren Township Friday afternoon. Her grandson was driving the car and when he got out, it somehow slipped into neutral. She was trapped inside as the car went into the lake.

With the water rising, she was pulled from the vehicle by two Good Samaritans, Director of Public Safety Greg Laurain said.

"When our first engine arrived at the scene, these two citizens were out there already holding the woman above water as the car was submerging quickly," Laurain said. "Our fire fighters were able to assist, between four of them, they were able to pull her through the window."

Laurain says he and his people are trying to figure out for sure if the vehicle was in parked or not.

"From what we're finding out when we get the car out, we'll know more, the car wasn't actually put in park. She was a passenger. Right now, it sounds like her grandson was the driver, somehow, someway, it got disengaged from park to neurral and it slid in the water."

The chief says when they arrived, the citizens were in desparate need of help. He says they're the true heroes.

"The big thing is these citizens who were here took it upon themselves to do what they did, they're truly heroes," Laurain said.

He also said that the docks on the water helped slow the vehicle down.

"It appears they went nose first into the water and it floated about 20 or 30 feet out before it started submerging. We have a light wind going on today so that's what caused the vehicle to drift out toward the dock. Thank God those docks are in the location they are, it actually stopped the vehicle. And allowed rescuers to get over there and get a hold of her because if those docks wouldn't have been there, no one would have been able to get a hold of her."

The good samaritans did not want to speak on camera. That elderly woman was taken to the hospital, and she is expected to be okay.