Car pulled from river, woman still missing

Police used a crane Thursday night to lift a car out of the Schuylkill River, but the woman who was driving the car when it plunged into the water remained missing.

About 4:15 p.m. in the city's East Falls section, witnesses saw the woman's 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis drive south on Ferry Road to Kelly Drive, where it struck a wall and crashed into the river, police said.

"A few seconds later the vehicle became submerged in the river and approximately five seconds later a black female in her mid-forties was observed screaming for help," said Officer Christine O'Brien. "The female made it down to the third bridge pillar, approximately 10 seconds later from where the vehicle entered the river, the female disappeared."

At one point the Fire Department had four boats and a WaveRunner searching for the woman. They later withdrew and left the police to continue the search

   -Robert Moran