Woman, 2 Children Rescued from Submerged SUV in Rohnert Park

ROHNERT PARK (CBS SF) -- A grandmother and grandchildren were uninjured after being rescued Saturday night from an SUV that had driven into a pond at a mobile home park, the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety said.

Police and fire crews were summoned at 8:50 p.m. to the Las Casitas Mobile Home Park on Bridgit Drive on reports of a vehicle with people still inside.

The driver, a 59-year-old resident of the park, was trying to get her granddaughter, ages 7 and 3, out of the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee, which was submerged to the roof about 15 feet from the shore of the 6-foot-deep pond in the center of the park.

Officers Kieran Keaney and Mike Bacigalupi "quickly removed their police equipment and jumped into the pond to assist with rescuing the woman and children," according to the department, assisting the 7-year-old in swimming to the shore and getting the 3-year-old out through the window.

They helped the grandmother and 3-year-old safely reach the edge of the pond and paramedics evaluated all three occupants, who were uninjured.

The woman said she mistook the opening to the pond for the next street, Las Casitas Drive, while on Rio Vista Lane, made a left turn and realized her mistake too late.

Police said the woman showed no signs of being under the influence but requested that the DMV evaluate her driving status.

"The owners of the Jeep were informed they would need to work with their insurance to get the vehicle removed from the pond, and the park management was told they would need to have the pond checked for any hazardous substances from the Jeep," police said.

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