Woman who fell asleep at the wheel rescued after driving 200 feet into lake

Emergency crews worked to pull a car out of a Florida lake early on Tuesday morning after rescuing the driver, according to the Sanford Police Department.



Officials said said the Chevy Avalanche ended up 200 feet offshore and came to rest on the bottom of Lake Monroe in Sanford, with only the rear of the vehicle above water.

Police said a woman walking her dog heard the driver screaming in the water and called 911. A helicopter dropped a flotation device and helped lead divers to the driver, Karen Louwsma. She was examined by Sanford Fire Rescue at the scene and was not injured.



Louwsma, 56, later told authorities that she is a nurse working two jobs and she fell asleep at the wheel. She told police that she fell asleep due to exhaustion and doesn't remember at what point she passed out. It is unclear whether she will face any charges.

There's a news video here and video of the rescue here.