'I thought I was drowning': Woman rescued from sinking car in Macomb County

A 20-year-old woman was rescued from her sinking vehicle after she ended up in a flooded ditch Friday night.

Just before 11 p.m., Alison Adams said she was driving down 24 Mile near North Avenue in Macomb Township. It was foggy, dark, and rainy. The next thing she knew, her SUV was floating and she was completely helpless. 

"It was very scary. I thought I was drowning," Adams said. "I lost complete control of my wheel, my brakes locked on me. It swung me left and then right into the ditch that was flooded. There was ice covering it and my car just started sinking."

In a panic, she tried to escape on her own.

"I thought I could make it out, but my car was already submerged like halfway down the door," Adams said

Instead, she called 911. Within minutes, Macomb Township firefighters were on scene with water rescue suits on.

"It was roughly four to four and a half (feet) deep," said Chief Bob Phillips. Firefigters "stretched out a 24-foot-long extension ladder, braced it up against the tire of the car, and they were able to get her out and she crawled across the ladder."

(Macomb Township Professional Firefighters Local 5023)

"Everybody was telling me ‘just stay calm,’ making sure I wasn’t hurt," Adams recounted. "I climbed out of my window, onto the windshield, and onto the ladder. And I had to climb across the ladder onto the side of the ditch."

Adams was checked out; no injuries were reported. Her Kia Sportage was towed away.

"I’m just very grateful that the firefighters were able to get me out," she said. "They were in their wetsuits in the freezing cold, I just was so grateful."

Phillips warned that it does not take much water to end up in this situation.

"Six to 12 inches of water is all it takes to move a vehicle," Phillips said.