Water They Doing? Ontario driver takes selfie as car sinks into Rideau River

Ontario driver gets that sinking feeling, still manages to snap a photo before rescue from frigid waters

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A driver in the Manotick area seems to be unharmed after plunking their vehicle in the drink over the weekend, resulting in a bright yellow Scion tC being submerged into an icy Rideau River. Critically, it appears they managed to document the occasion with a selfie as others rushed to help them out of the jam.

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Social media lit up yesterday when a local radio outlet posted video of a driver being rescued from the roof of a vehicle which had broken through river ice. In those clips, the person was shown standing atop a sinking car before managing to grab hold of a floatation device tossed in their direction by rescuers and being hauled to safety.

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After the fact, a bystander responded to the initial tweets with a still image shot from a different angle. In it, the driver was taking a selfie while awaiting rescue from their perch atop a formerly useful two-door car. The poster opined that this probably wasn’t the best time in the world to take a selfie, what with a number of people ‘hurried and worried’ making efforts to ensure the driver didn’t end up in the freezing river. This is a valid point. Also, your author will be using the term ‘hurried and worried’ at every appropriate opportunity going forward.

But how did the car end up here in the first place? A casual search quickly revealed video footage of this same vehicle being driven at speed on the frozen river, sending plumes of snow and ice into the air. CTV is reporting that local cops have charged the driver with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, a charge which could carry a license suspension if convicted, to say nothing of what may happen to a person’s insurance premiums.

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Now that it appears everyone is safe, we’ll take this opportunity to note the ice-bound Scion tC appears to be a decade-old Release Series 7.0, a rare but not particularly valuable variant of the sporty coupe which came with this special yellow paint and a few add-ons. About 2,000 were made. Its suspension and 185hp four-banger were left at stock-spec.

Back on dry land, one of the local residents who participated in the rescue had some harsh words for the driver during an interview with a local radio station. PSA folks: stay safe out there.