BOWIE, Md. — A woman and her dog are safe after she drove her car into a pond in Bowie Wednesday morning.
Prince George's County firefighters were called to the area of the 3400 block of Enterprise Road for a report of a car into a pond around 9:30 a.m. When crews arrived, they found the woman and her dog had escaped the car. No serious injuries were reported.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
If you find yourself in a sinking car, there are steps you can take to get to safety.
What to do if your car goes into the water
- Stay calm and act quickly: If your car is underwater, panicking will just make the situation worse. Your best chance to act is within the first 30 seconds to two minutes of going into water. Your car will float for a very short window of time, and that is your best time to act.
- Unbuckle your seatbelt: Make sure you unbuckle yourself before doing anything else, so you can exit the vehicle quickly.
- Roll down your window: Do not try to open your door to get out. Water will press on your doors and make them difficult to open. Once the door is open, water will flood in causing your car to sink faster. Instead, roll your window down immediately.
- Exit the vehicle: Swim to safety once the window is rolled down.