A Cadillac driver went off road and plunged into a Long Beach lagoon in the early morning hours Wednesday, but the driver and passenger escaped with only minor injuries, police said.
The driver rammed through a guard rail at 4th Street and Monrovia Avenue (map) about 2:20 a.m. and continued several feet down an embankment and into the Colorado Lagoon, an urban wetlands complex in the east side of the city, the Long Beach Police Department said.
The driver and passenger swam out and attempted to flee, but were both detained, police said. It was unclear why they tried to leave.
"That's just amazing, lucky the tide was out and they weren't really in high water, and just to have them survive that it's amazing," said Ken Herbage, a park maintenance supervisor.
The driver was questioned and his female passenger was released.
The cause of the crash was also unknown.
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Four hours later, a dive team and tow truck removed the fully submerged black Cadillac from the lagoon.
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NBC4's Toni Guinyard contributed to this report.
