An 18-year-old boy died trying to save four passengers in a car that plunged into the Delaware Canal on Monday morning, police said. The driver helped one person to the shore safely but died trying to rescue the other three.

The car, a Chevy HHR plunged into the south side of the 35-foot deep Delaware Canal at around 9:40 a.m. on Sunday morning with five passengers onboard. Officers who responded to the incident after bystanders called 911, found a 16-year-old girl sitting on the bank of the canal, state police spokesperson Master Cpl. Michael Austin said at a press conference.

According to her, the driver of the car had rescued her and got her safely back to shore before going back in to save the other three boys who were stuck in the vehicle.

The driver was found in the waters nearby by responders and was pronounced dead at the scene.

“He was a hero,” Austin told the press. “He tried to do everything he could to help the remaining passengers in that vehicle.”

Rescue agencies worked for hours to remove the car submerged in the canal. The operation involved dive teams, police units, and maritime units along with paramedics. The car was removed from the water at around 5 p.m. Two of the boys, aged 12 and 16, were found dead in the car.

The third boy who is aged 6 is still missing.

The search is still going on for him. The identities of the people involved in the incident were not immediately released, and will only be done once the family and close ones of the victims were notified.

"My thoughts and prayers go out to a family whose lives were changed forever today," Austin said.

According to the police, all the boys in the car were related, while the girl was just an acquaintance. All of them lived in Delaware. Police are still investigating how the car plunged into the canal.

crime scene
This is a representational image showing a crime scene tape in Alexandria, Virginia, on June 15, 2017. Getty Images/Mark Wilson
RELATED STORIES