First responders pull woman from sinking car in Evans Mills; driver charged with DWI

May 11—EVANS MILLS — A woman was charged with driving while intoxicated after first responders pulled her through the sunroof of her car as it was sinking in a retention pond this weekend.

Joanne M. Tanner, 61, of Evans Mills, was charged by state police with DWI, a misdemeanor, and first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, a felony.

The charges come after Ms. Tanner allegedly drove her vehicle into a retention pond at the corner of Routes 11 and 26 in the town of LeRay on Saturday shortly before 9 p.m.

John Russell, the assistant chief with the Evans Mills Fire Department, said when the call came in there were already firefighters at the Evans Mills Raceway Park for races Saturday night, which is just up the road from the pond.

The crew was at the scene from the raceway within minutes, and Mr. Russell, coming from his home, was there a few minutes after that. He said they decided he would go into the water to attempt to rescue her.

Secured to a rope, Mr. Russell went into the water and broke the back window to get inside. As he reached the patient, he said a trooper on scene, Christopher Hardy, got in the water and climbed to the top of the vehicle, which caused it to shift.

As it shifted, Mr. Russell said water began flowing into the back of the car.

"I had to get out of there quickly," Mr. Russell said.

At this point, Ms. Tanner's vehicle was in water, but not fully submerged.

The assistant chief said he climbed up to the roof with Mr. Hardy, who broke the sunroof to get to the driver. They then both pulled Ms. Tanner, who at the time was up to her chin in water, out of the vehicle together. The vehicle was fully submerged shortly after they rescued her.

"She didn't have much space left," Mr. Russell said. "I would say another minute or two, she would have been completely under the water."

A third trooper, Ryan Gentile, removed his gun belt and jumped into the water to help toward the end as well.

Mr. Russell said it was decided that Mr. Hardy would get Ms. Tanner to shore and then carry her to an awaiting ambulance. Mr. Russell said a medic told him Ms. Tanner appeared remorseful and did think she was going to die.

Mr. Russell stressed that the rescue was a team effort. He mentioned Kenneth Camidge, who has been a captain for the Evans Mills Department since January and commanded the scene.

"He is one of my new captains and has only been a captain for about five months," Mr. Russell said. "He's been a firefighter for a few years, but this was his first big incident that he had been in charge of. He did an excellent job. I'm very proud of him."

Especially for an incident as rare as this one.

"I was a firefighter in North Carolina years ago, and we did some water rescues," Mr. Russell said. "But I can tell you this is something completely different for us up here. In the years I've been a firefighter up here, we've never had anything like that in our area."

Ms. Tanner was taken to Samaritan Medical Center with minor injuries and issued a ticket to appear in Leray Town Court after she was arrested.