Fireman saves lady engineer from drowning after she drives opposite flooded travel

She can hardly claim she hadn"t been warned.

The sign at the side of the fordclearly states that it can be impassable after heavy rain, while thedepth marker shows the water swirling between the 4ft and 5ft mark.

Yet 62-year-old Anne Kennedy ploughed straight on - to disaster.

Drama: The fireman steps in to save this woman driver from drowning in the swollen River Loddon

Mistake: The unnamed driver decides to brave crossing a flood-swollen ford

Rescue: The normally inches-deep ford was at least five feet deep as she tried to cross it

Her black Vauxhall Astra was swept down the River Loddon in Berkshire with the helpless driver clinging to the steering wheel.

By the time firemen arrived thewater inside the car was chest deep and Mrs Kennedy was in danger ofdrowning. With no time to wait for a boat, they inflated a hose to useas a line to the vehicle then managed to break a side window and dragher to safety.

She was allowed home from hospital after treatment for exposure.

Mrs Kennedy, who lives inHenley-on-Thames and is a director of Henley Management Solutions,could not explain why she missed the warning signs. "As I began drivingthrough I realised how awful it was," she said.

"I stopped to put it in reverse andthe car began slipping. I tried to go forward again but the brakesstopped working. Then the engine cut out.

"It was an interesting experience tosay the least. I tried my best to remain calm. The worst part was theelectrics shut down so I couldn"t open the windows. I was completelytrapped.

"At times I thought I might not make it, but once the firefighters arrived I felt like I had a 50/50 chance."

The dramatic pictures of theincident were taken by Steve Collier, landlord of the Land"s End pubnext to the ford at Charvil, near Reading. Both he and Mrs Kennedy called 999.

"I couldn"t believe it when the Astra just drove in," he said.

Clear warning: The sign for all drivers heading towards the ford

"Straight away the back end of the car was dragged to the left and you could see there was no movement from inside the car.

"Within a couple of minutes the windows were steaming up and the car was being dragged down the river by the current.

"Itwas in far too deep for any rescue attempt with a normal car and all wecould do was ring 999."

RoyalBerkshire Fire and Rescue Service watch manager Phil Holdford added: "If we had left it any longer therecould have been serious issues so we effected a rescue," said RoyalBerkshire Fire and Rescue Service watch manager Phil Holdford.

"Shewas extremely cold and shocked at what had happened. The ford was about5ft deep in the middle and the car had floated some way downstream.

"No-oneshould drive into a ford when the water is as deep as that." MrCollier said up to 120 motorists were rescued from the water each yearafter ignoring the clearly displayed warning signs.

"We really do not understand why people do it," he said.

"It is at least 50ft to the other side and you can clearly see the water ahead of you moving very very quickly.

"Iknow some people blame satellite navigation systems and others thinkthey can cross it in the summer so will be able to do it now."

Firefightershad been called to same the ford last Saturday to rescue two men whobecame stranded in a VW Passat. The car had to be winched from theswollen Ford.