An SUV ended up somewhere no vehicle should ever be on Monday afternoon: at the bottom of a resort swimming pool. The crash happened around 3:30 p.m. at Smugglers’ Notch Resort in Cambridge, Vermont, when the SUV plowed through a fence and dropped straight into the water, according to Vermont State Police. Two people in the pool were hurt in the process, though thankfully both walked away with only minor injuries.
If you’ve ever driven through a resort or campground, you know the speed limits tend to be laughably low, and for good reason. Smugglers’ Notch keeps its posted limit at just 14 miles an hour, which is about as fast as most of us pedal a beach cruiser. Somehow, even at those speeds, this SUV managed to find its way off the pavement and into a pool full of swimmers.
A 9-year-old boy named Joseph Sage was in the pool when the SUV came crashing through. He told WPTZ he heard a bang before the vehicle landed near him, pulling him under the water. His dad managed to pull him and another young girl to safety before anyone could get seriously hurt. It’s the kind of moment that reminds you how quickly a normal pool day can turn into something out of a stunt reel, minus the stunt coordinator.
Members of the Cambridge Rescue Squad treated the two injured swimmers at the scene, and state police say the injuries were minor. The SUV wasn’t going anywhere fast once it landed, either. Crews needed several hours to get it out of the water before towing it off the property.
How the SUV Ended Up in the Pool
Vermont State Police haven’t released a detailed explanation of how the vehicle left the road, crossed through a fence line, and ended up submerged in a swimming pool. What we do know is that troopers responded quickly, and witnesses reported seeing a trooper place someone in handcuffs and load them into a cruiser shortly after the crash.
Witnesses believed the person taken into custody was the SUV’s driver, though state police haven’t confirmed any charges yet. Because of the ages involved, police aren’t releasing the driver’s identity or any further information at this time.
Resort Says Nothing Like This Has Happened Before
Smugglers’ Notch Resort told reporters that an incident like this had never happened on the property before, which isn’t exactly surprising. Pools and parking lots don’t typically overlap for good reason.
The resort has closed the pool until further notice while things get sorted out, and management is using the moment to remind guests to stay alert behind the wheel, even at low speeds around resort grounds.
The Aftermath and Recovery
Photos shared by Notch Road Auto Repair, Towing and Recovery showed just how deep the SUV sat in the water, nose down and mostly submerged, before the recovery crew hauled it out.
Towing a vehicle out of a swimming pool isn’t exactly a routine call, and it likely made for one of the more unusual jobs on the books this summer.
A Reminder for Summer Drivers
Resort roads might feel like an afterthought compared to the highway, but this crash is a good reminder that a car is still a car no matter how slow the posted limit is. Fences and pool decks aren’t built to stop a couple thousand pounds of SUV, and it only takes a split second for a routine drive past the pool to go sideways.
As of now, the SUV’s owner is dealing with a very soggy repair bill, and the resort is left explaining to guests why the pool is closed in the middle of July.