An elderly German visitor and his dog continue to recover after his car ended up in the waters off Vanier Park.

Shortly after 8:30 last night, police and emergency crews were called after a witness saw the car in the water. The 81-year-old driver, in Vancouver visiting family, was headed downtown when he got lost and disoriented. In the darkness and poor weather, the man ended up driving down a boat launch ramp and into the bay.

Vancouver Police officers quickly responded and when they arrived, only the back of the car was visible. As the car continued to slowly sink, officers swam out and smashed the rear window allowing the dog to swim out. The driver remained trapped in the car, but as the car fully submerged, officers managed to pull him to safety through the smashed rear window. The man’s dog was also pulled from the water by officers.

The driver was taken to hospital and the dog to a local emergency animal clinic. Both have since been released and are reportedly doing well.

Five police officers were all tended to by paramedics at the scene before being then taken to police headquarters to warm up and dry off. The officers were cold and lost some personal items during the rescue, but were otherwise uninjured.