Driver rescued Friday night from submerged vehicle in Chesconessex Creek

A driver was rescued Friday night after a vehicle became submerged in Chesconessex Creek off Northside Road in Onancock, according to Onancock Volunteer Fire Department Chief Mark Rydberg.

Rydberg said Onancock and Tasley volunteer fire departments were dispatched at about 10:20 p.m. to the report of a submerged vehicle. When units from Onancock and the Department of Public Safety arrived, they found the driver in the water about 80 yards from the end of a dock, being kept afloat by a bystander in a kayak.

Fire and EMS crews deployed a rescue swimmer, who reached the driver and brought the person back to the dock, where the rescue was completed. The occupant was then transported by EMS with injuries that were described as non-life-threatening.

Rydberg said the response also included assistance from Virginia State Police, the Accomack County Sheriff’s Office, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and the U.S. Coast Guard.

The vehicle remained submerged in the creek following the rescue, and boaters are being urged to stay clear of the area until it can be recovered to avoid damaging their vessels.

Onancock Volunteer Fire Department leadership also thanked the good Samaritans who helped the driver stay afloat until emergency crews arrived.