Woman Dies in Sinking Car After Emergency Services Call Fails To Save Her as Toxic Water Blocks Rescue Divers

A tragic incident in Gary, Indiana, has left a 75-year-old woman dead after her vehicle became submerged in a heavily contaminated body of water near Buffington Harbor. The victim, who has been identified as Sheila Harris, was able to call emergency services as her car began to sink.

While emergency personnel responded to the distress call, contaminated water prevented divers from safely entering the water, delaying the vehicle's recovery until the following day.

The community now faces questions concerning the sequence of events that led to her vehicle entering the hazardous zone and the unique environmental challenges that delayed emergency response.

A 911 Call and Hours of Searching

Gary police received Harris's call around 2:00 am on Saturday, and dispatchers used rapid location technology to narrow her position to near the entrance of Buffington Harbor.

Gary police and the Fire Department searched the area but were initially unable to locate the vehicle. The coroner's office was then called to the scene at about 6:00 am on Sunday.

Investigators sourced surveillance footage showing a white Hyundai entering the Indiana Sugars property and driving into the water, but it took seven to eight hours to establish where the vehicle had entered the water. The car eventually came to rest in roughly 12 feet of water beyond the reach of immediate rescue.

Toxic Contamination Halts Rescue Divers

Even after locating the vehicle, emergency crews encountered insurmountable obstacles that halted immediate rescue diving operations. Gary officials said the hazardous conditions and contamination meant divers could not safely enter the water.

Recovery efforts were immediately suspended while specialised equipment was brought in and pumps were deployed to remove the contaminated water. This was to reduce the water level and facilitate recovery operations through the night.

Buffington Harbor sits within a heavy industrial corridor, though the regional environmental records alone do not definitely indicate baseline contamination at that site. No comments about the water's toxicity from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources or the Lake County Hazardous Materials team appeared in the reports reviewed.

Overnight Drainage and Hazmat Recovery

By Sunday, 18 October, after several hours of pumping, the water levels dropped low enough for the hazmat team to safely access and pull the vehicle from the site. The white Hyundai was thoroughly decontaminated before fire personnel entered and found Harris's body inside.

The Lake County coroner's office confirmed they had recovered Harris, but the cause of death was pending. Concurrently, local police have launched an ongoing investigation to piece together the timeline and explain how or why her vehicle entered the water near Buffington Harbor.

It remains unclear whether mechanical failure, medical distress or poor visibility on the industrial property caused the vehicle to enter the water. The incident remains under police investigation.

The police are encouraging anyone with information on what happened to contact Cpl. Tyler Knotts of the Gary Police Department's Traffic Division at 219-881-1217. A GoFundMe has also been set up to raise money for Harris's funeral expenses, and her family is working to finalise service details.