[Lincolnar]

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- As South Carolina rivers overflowed from Florence's torrential rain, deputies taking two women to a mental health facility drove into floodwaters that engulfed their van and trapped the women inside, officials said Wednesday. The two deputies worked to free the women, who were being transported Tuesday night as part of a court order, but were not able to save them from the back of the van, Horry County Sheriff P.T. told reporters.

"I'm not sure if it was the way the van was positioned, against a guardrail, or if it was pressure from the water, but unfortunately they were not able to get the van doors open and get the ladies out," P.T.

P.T. identified the women as W.N., 45, and N.G., 43. Earlier Wednesday, Marion County Coroner J.R. had identified W.N. with a different last name.

CBS affiliate WLTX-TV contacted N.G.’s family, who released the following statement:

"We want those who are responsible to be held accountable," it reads in part. "These women were not inmates or criminals. They were women who voluntarily sought help. They trusted the hospitals and the Sheriff Deputies with their lives and that trust was abused. We want answers."

The family says N.G. had three children, but had lost one child to cancer in 2015.

P.T. told reporters that deputies appear to have driven around a barrier blocking the road but the investigation is ongoing.

"It hasn't been confirmed to me that they did, but here's my question: There's barriers there. It could be assumed that he did," P.T. said Wednesday.

Rescue crews needed about 45 minutes to find the van, which was underwater at that point, and plucked the Horry County deputies from the roof, the sheriff said. Officials said the van was in Marion County near the Little Pee Dee River, one of the bodies of water state officials are watching closely after Florence.

Because of darkness, responders decided trying to retrieve the women's bodies from the van Tuesday night wasn't safe. That effort resumed Wednesday morning, and P.T. said a specialized crew was being flown in from Charleston to assist. At nearly 7 p.m. Wednesday, State Law Enforcement Division spokesman T.B. confirmed the bodies had been recovered.

J.B., a state lawmaker and lawyer who has represented the families of several people injured or killed by law enforcement officers, said he's perplexed by the decision to transport anyone in such uncertain weather conditions.

"If that road is in an area where it is a flood risk, and waters were rising, why were they driving on that road anyway?" he said. "People need to know exactly how it happened. It makes it seem like someone took a very unnecessary risk in creating the problem in the first place."

The incident has spawned investigations by the State Law Enforcement Division and Highway Patrol. P.T. said he has also begun an internal investigation and put the deputies involved - J.B. and S.F.- on administrative leave.

A woman who answered the phone at a number listed for S.F. told a reporter he didn't want to talk to anyone. There was no answer at a number listed for J.B.

P.T. said he did not think the women were in restraints in the back of the van, noting that restraints are used for combative patients "and I understand they were not."

Authorities said the women had been involuntarily committed by a physician, contradicting the statement by N.G. family.

Under South Carolina law, people who have been certified by a physician as posing an imminent risk of harm to themselves by virtue of mental illness and are the subject of an involuntary emergency admission must be transported by law enforcement to whichever designated hospital has agreed to admit them, according to officials with the state's Department of Mental Health.

According to statute, the documents authorizing the admission require "a law enforcement officer, preferably in civilian clothes and preferably with crisis intervention training, to take into custody and transport the person to the hospital designated by the certification."

The sheriff said his agency acts as a courier in such situations, to follow a judge's wishes.

Neither woman has an arrest record in South Carolina, according to documents obtained from state police. Their names also yielded no records in the Horry County jail and court index systems.

W.N. had posted on her Facebook page that she previously had been hospitalized for mental illness. She posted multiple times about her struggles.

[K53]

R.I.P.

[Nic8895]

I don’t understand how anyone that’s able bodied dies in a sinking car.

Hold on, hold on. I know it’s very hard to open the door when water pressure is against it.

But you have feet. You have hands. You have elbows. You very likely have something in your car that’s capable of shattering a side window.

Do you accept your fate and scream about it, or do you fight like hell to get out of that car?

[HeyJealousy]

[Lincolnar]

Photos of N.G. before and after. Unable to find W.N. at the moment.

[Lincolnar]

Originally Posted by Nic8895 ↗

I don’t understand how anyone that’s able bodied dies in a sinking car.

Hold on, hold on. I know it’s very hard to open the door when water pressure is against it.

But you have feet. You have hands. You have elbows. You very likely have something in your car that’s capable of shattering a side window.

Do you accept your fate and scream about it, or do you fight like hell to get out of that car?

Agreed. I have never been in that situation, but I would like to think that I would be fighting like hell. Now if they were restrained (even if it was reported that they weren’t, that is one thing). There is a video of a woman driving past a barrier into a flooded tunnel on here... I think maybe in Texas? Anyhow, she drove past the guard, into the tunnel, and then was shining her cellphone light frantically out the back window... like that is going to save her. Bust that window out and get yourself out of there sweetums! That cellphone is of no use to you at that moment!

[Boudreaux]

Gosh, if only you two had been there to explain to the women what to do.

The sheriff said he did not THINK the women were in restraints, not that they weren't in restraints. And surely a southern sheriff wouldn't fudge the truth about prisoners dying in custody, under circumstances the prisoners should not have been placed in.

In a city near me, a few years ago, a prisoner in the back of a squad car 'committed suicide' by shooting himself. Despite being handcuffed. Behind his back.

Yep, you can TRUST the cops. As long as you're a straight white male.

[Lincolnar]

Originally Posted by Boudreaux ↗

Gosh, if only you two had been there to explain to the women what to do.

The sheriff said he did not THINK the women were in restraints, not that they weren't in restraints. And surely a southern sheriff wouldn't fudge the truth about prisoners dying in custody, under circumstances the prisoners should not have been placed in.

In a city near me, a few years ago, a prisoner in the back of a squad car 'committed suicide' by shooting himself. Despite being handcuffed. Behind his back.

Yep, you can TRUST the cops. As long as you're a straight white male.

I hope that it did not come across as me trying to insinuate that it was their (the women’s) fault! Not the case at all. In my opinion, if the officers had time to get on top of the van and wait for rescue, they had time to make efforts to save the women. I hope that the story doesn’t die down and that answers and justice are given to the families!

[Boudreaux]

Originally Posted by Lincolnar ↗

I hope that it did not come across as me trying to insinuate that it was their (the women’s) fault! !

I obviously misunderstood you--my apologies.

It sounded a bit to me--and again, this was apparently my own misunderstanding--like something a local newsperson said after Katrina. There was footage of people looting stores and he angrily yelled about how they were criminals. I told him that unless he had ever had a family to worry about after a massive hurricane and weeks with flooding and no power, not to judge the people who were in that situation. I guess I'm still a little touchy about that.

You see what I mean? "Those folks in the Donner Party--that was DISGUSTING! I'd rather starve than eat human flesh!" Yeah, well, until you actually face that situation and make the choice to die instead of having Cattleherder Stew, don't tell ME how superior you are to those people. :-/

Again, sorry about misunderstanding you.

[SpicyWeiner]

Originally Posted by Lincolnar ↗

Agreed. I have never been in that situation, but I would like to think that I would be fighting like hell. Now if they were restrained (even if it was reported that they weren’t, that is one thing). There is a video of a woman driving past a barrier into a flooded tunnel on here... I think maybe in Texas? Anyhow, she drove past the guard, into the tunnel, and then was shining her cellphone light frantically out the back window... like that is going to save her. Bust that window out and get yourself out of there sweetums! That cellphone is of no use to you at that moment!

Its like the dumb girl that crossed a barrier to a flooded tunnel with her car. She kept driving deeper and deeper until the car shut off. I dont remember but the car was afloat for like 30 or more minutes and she didnt do shit. I dont know if its shock "I mean, its not even that fucking deep" or stupidity.