Officer, citizens pull woman from car that plunged into water off Nova Scotia

GOLD RIVER, N.S. — A Mountie combined forces with several citizens on Friday evening on Nova Scotia’s south shore to rescue a 33-year-old woman after her speeding car plunged off a coastal highway into the Atlantic ocean.

Staff Sgt. Stephen MacQueen, the district commander of the Lunenburg division, said Const. Vlad Dounin was driving on Highway 3 towards Chester at 6 p.m. when he saw a Volkswagen Tiguan moving at 130 kilometres per hour in a 70 kilometre per hour zone.

The car fishtailed and narrowly missed Dounin’s cruiser.

Dounin turned his vehicle to follow her car and several minutes later was waved down by citizens seeking his help after the Volkswagen shot off the seaside road as it entered the community of Western Shore.

MacQueen says “two or three” citizens and Dounin entered the waist-high water, managed to open the passenger-side door, hurrying to rescue the woman before the tides rose. 

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“It’s a cold time of year to be taking a dip in the ocean, for sure,” said the district commander.

MacQueen said the detachment will look into ways to recognize the citizens and the officer — who has been with the RCMP for three years — for their willingness to enter the water to assist the woman.

“If they hadn’t got in and gotten her out she would have likely lost her life,” he said.

The staff sergeant says the woman was taken to hospital with minor injuries but was able to return home on Saturday.

She is facing charges of dangerous driving and failing to stop for police.

MacQueen said the driver had been at the Chester RCMP detachment for a policing matter just a few minutes prior to the incident.

The Canadian Press