Woman survives after her car plunges into Lake Houston

A tow truck pulls out the red car from Lake Houston.
A tow truck pulls out the red car from Lake Houston.
A tow truck pulls out the red car from Lake Houston.

SHELDON – A 60-year-old woman is alive after being trapped for 45 minutes in her car, which was submerged in Lake Houston Thursday morning, according to the Sheldon Fire Department.

According to the Fire Department, the accident happened around 9 a.m. near the Duessen Park Boat Ramp in North Shore after fishermen saw the maroon sedan go into the water.

The fishermen called emergency responders, who were able to tow the car out of the lake with their boat.

Fire officials said the woman who had been driving the car then floated out of the window to the surface and gasped for air after being in the submerged car for about 45 minutes. The woman was talking when she was transported to a local hospital in stable condition. She was coherent but not making sense when answering questions.

Investigators with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said the woman was able to survive due to some sort of pocket of trapped air in the car.

The incident is under investigation by the HPD’s Lake Patrol. Investigators do not know why the woman drove the car off the boat ramp.