Neighbors rescue man after Jeep slides 40 feet into Lake Conroe, officials say

WILLIS, Texas (KTRK) -- Authorities say a man drove his Jeep into Lake Conroe near Waterview Court in Willis.

By the time officials arrived, a neighbor had jumped into the water and used a hammer to break the passenger window out so the driver could escape.

The driver was reportedly backing out from a home when he backed down the boat ramp and into the lake.

ABC13 spoke with the driver shortly after the incident and said he's doing fine and claims it all happened so fast.

He said he came home from church and pulled into the garage. That's when he said he accidentally put the car in neutral and it started going down the ramp into the water. He said he couldn't get the doors or windows to work because the car was off.

The driver also told Eyewitness News he doesn't know the man who came to his rescue, though he believes it might be one of his neighbor's friends.

The distance between the two points is about 40 feet.

The Jeep sank to the bottom of the Lake which was about eight feet.

North Montgomery County Fire responded by both land and boat.

A wrecker driver had to swim to the vehicle with heavy cable and chains and go underwater to hook it to a tow truck.

There were no reported injuries.