A father, daughter were trapped in sinking vehicle near Venice, officials say

Two people trapped in a vehicle that reportedly drove off the South Jetty near Venice on Monday have been identified.

Eugene Hayden, 88, and his daughter Carol Hayden, 64, were identified in a Facebook post by Venice government officials Tuesday as the people inside the vehicle when the incident occurred.

The vehicle was found in the water and towed for further investigation, according to the post.

Venice Police, along with several other agencies, responded to a report of a vehicle that drove in the water at approximately 4:21 p.m. Monday, with reports of people inside.

A Venice police officer, citizens and a passing boat all attempted to rescue Eugene and Carol, but were unsuccessful.

“As shown below in this witness video obtained by VPD, rescuers placed themselves in harm’s way due to strong winds and tidal current; unfortunately, they were unable to remove the vehicle’s occupants,” the Facebook post read.

In the Facebook post Tuesday, Venice government thanked personnel and bystanders that assisted during the incident.

The Venice Fire Department, Sarasota County Sheriff’s Marine and SURF Team, Sarasota Police Department Dive Team, U.S. Coast Guard, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Sarasota County Fire Rescue also responded to the scene Monday afternoon.

This story was originally published May 9, 2017 at 7:47 PM with the headline "A father, daughter were trapped in sinking vehicle near Venice, officials say."