Woman takes selfie as her car sinks into the Rideau River

A driver found themselves in a terrifying situation recently and took a selfie to commemorate.

Residents living near Ottawa's Rideau River took part in a water rescue Sunday when a driver crashed her car through the ice while driving on the frozen water, the Ottawa Citizen reports.

The ordeal gained international attention after the woman, who was uninjured, climbed on top of her sinking car, smiled, and took a selfie.

Residents sprang into action, using a kayak to tow her to safety.

It's not clear why the car was on the ice - but a witness estimated it was moving at about 60 kilometres per hour, and video of the car shows it moving along the waterway at a considerable speed.

While residents were concerned about the woman's welfare, that quickly turned to irritation due to her "seemingly cavalier behaviour," the Ottawa Citizen says.

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“This portion of the river has thin ice compared to other areas of the river,” Ottawa police said in a news release.

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“Ice conditions at this time of the year can be unpredictable. The Ottawa Police Service would like to remind residents to stay off the ice and remember ‘No Ice is Safe Ice.’ ”

Once on land, the driver was charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.