HOME, Wash. — A man with dementia drove off a driveway and into the water off Herron Island, and both he and his wife died as a result, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies said the pair went off the road on May 25 around noon, northwest of Goodpastor Park.
It appears the vehicle went down the driveway, over the bulkhead structure of the home, and into the water. Bulkhead structures are built along marine and lake shorelines to reduce erosion.
It’s unclear what led up to the car being in the water.
The vehicle ended up about 30 feet from the shoreline before it started sinking, according to witnesses.
Two bystanders jumped into the water to try and save them, but were unable to get to the pair before the vehicle sunk.
The Pierce County Dive Team, West Pierce Fire, The Coast Guard and Tacoma PD assisted in the water rescue.
Both the man and woman were pulled from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.
The car drifted further away to about 200 feet off the shoreline.
Crews towed the car from the water.
Herron Island has a population of 115 people, according to latest census data. It is a small private island in Pierce County between Harstine Island and the Key Peninsula.
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