A woman drove her car into an indoor swimming pool with her 5-year-old daughter still inside after allegedly pressing the accelerator instead of the brake.
The incident happened on Thursday, Dec. 11, in the parking lot of the Paul-Éluard municipal pool in La Ciotat, a town in southern France. According to the city, a 38-year-old woman lost control of her vehicle, crashed through a glass wall and ended up submerged in the pool.
City officials said the response was immediate. Two lifeguards, assisted by another bystander, rushed to the scene and pulled both occupants from the vehicle. Emergency crews, including firefighters and national and municipal police, quickly secured the area. Authorities confirmed there were no fatalities.
Images taken after the crash show the car resting on the pool floor beneath lane dividers, its rear doors open and an airbag deployed. Other photos show the shattered glass panel where the vehicle entered the recreation center.
The municipality announced that the pool will remain closed for several weeks while the vehicle is removed and repairs are carried out.
Local outlet La Provence reported that fire and rescue services believe the driver may have confused the accelerator and brake pedals when the crash occurred around 9 p.m. local time.
Two lifeguards were on duty at the time the Jaguar XF broke through the glass and sank into the 25-meter pool. Witnesses said the lifeguards immediately jumped into the water to rescue the mother and her daughter.
Although neither appeared to have serious injuries, both were taken to a nearby hospital as a precaution and were reported to be suffering from shock.
