SUV Plunges Into Icy NJ River, Trapping Driver Inside

HACKENSACK, NJ — Firefighters carried out a dramatic water rescue after an SUV plunged into the icy Hackensack River Tuesday night.

The driver went off the road at Court Street near the Dillard Memorial/Court Street bridge and became trapped in his SUV, firefighters said.

Rescue workers were dispatched to the scene around 6 p.m., Police Chief Michael Antista said.

"With an incoming tide and an immediate danger to life, two firefighters were lowered into the frigid river," the fire department said in a social media post.

Firefighters gave the driver a flotation device and safety lines and helped maneuver him to the top of his truck. A fire boat and truck helped pull him onto a rescue boat.

He was taken by ambulance to Hackensack Medical Center for evaluation, the department said.

Antista said the driver, 79, is in stable condition.

Fire crews and Five Star Towing later removed the truck from the water while the police secured the area, the department said.