Mom saves 2-year-old from backseat of submerged car after crash into Vermont river

A woman was able to escape a submerged car with her 2-year-old son and swim to safety after crashing into a Vermont river on Monday.

The Hartford, Vt. fire department said it responded to the area of Quechee Main Street and the Mill Run Condominiums for a report of a car in the Ottauquechee River at about 12:45 p.m.

"The driver was hanging onto the vehicle as it floated downstream," the department said.

The toddler was in the backseat of the car, in a car seat.

"The mother was able to unbuckle him, cut through the deployed driver's-side airbag, and emerge through the window," the fire department said. "The two were able to swim ashore safely."

First responders got the pair into an ambulance and took them to a hospital to be checked out. No serious injuries were reported. Rescue swimmers also arrived on the scene make sure no one else was in the car. 

A photo posted by the fire department showed the car almost completely underwater. 

It's not clear yet what caused the car to go into the water. Crews used a crane to pull the car, which had serious front-end damage, out of the river. 

Hartford is near the border with New Hampshire at White River Junction.

According to AAA, accidents where a car ends up in the water have the highest fatality rate compared to other crashes. To escape a sinking car, the agency advises drivers to stay calm, unbuckle seat belts, roll down or break a window, and get out before the car fills with water.