Motor racing: Ice opens under two rapidly submerged vehicles

The camera in one of the two cars shows the passenger getting out of the other car and water submerging the vehicle within seconds. Karine Bastien's explanations.

Four people had the scare of their lives Saturday while participating in the Kahnawake Ice Racing Series race when the ice track on which they were riding, on the St. Lawrence River, opened up under the weight of the cars.

A video taken inside one of the two cars has been circulating on the Internet since Saturday. In these images, it can be seen that it only took a few seconds for both cars to be completely submerged in water and ice.

The pilots and their respective passenger, who can be seen exiting at full speed and regaining the more solid ice, escaped unscathed.

According to the organizers of the event , the ice had been checked before the event, which was held in the Kahnawake reserve, in Montérégie.

We all know the risks we take when we hit the ice and we all understand that this sport we love comes with those kinds of risks,” said event chair Bryar Lawrence.

The Kahnawake Ice racing Series track is on the St. Lawrence River and the ice had been checked before the event, according to its organizers.

The immersion and evacuation of people troubled me because it could have been more tragic, says the general manager of the Quebec branch of the Lifesaving Society Raynald Hawkins , which reminds us of the importance of caution during events on the ice. Not to mention the cold water which can cause thermal shock severe enough to eventually lead to unconsciousness.

Not only was no one injured, but the vehicles were also out of the water over the weekend.

With information from Karine Bastien