Driver dies in Dartmouth river tragedy
An elderly man whose car plunged into the River Dart in Dartmouth early this morning died in the incident, police have confirmed.
Police were called by the crew of the ferry across to Kingswear, who reported seeing a car in the water off the South Embankment in the centre of the town at around 8.40am, and emergency services rushed to the scene.
A major operation got underway, with police divers and fire and rescue crews, and the embankment area was closed, with a cordon put in place for much of the day.
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Later in the afternoon, Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed that the man, who was in his 80s and was the sole occupant of the car, had been extracted, but was pronounced dead at the scene.
A spokesperson for the police confirmed: “Police were notified at around 8.40am this morning, Sunday 10 November, to reports that a car had plunged into the water on the South Embankment in Dartmouth.
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“Emergency services were swiftly deployed to the scene, including police divers who entered the water. Sadly, a man in his 80s, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle was extracted from the car and was pronounced deceased at the scene.
“The death is not believed to be suspicious, and a file will now be prepared for the coroner. The embankment area was closed, and cordons was put in place for much of the day. These have since been lifted. Police would like to thank the public for their support during the incident,” she added.