Overview

• The Bentley entered the water from the Sandbanks ferry car park at about 5:13pm, surging down concrete steps into Poole Harbour.
• Three local fishermen swam to the semi-submerged car and pulled the driver through an open sunroof as a lifebuoy was thrown from shore.
• The driver was identified as Robert Hill, 74, who said cancer treatment left him weak and he could not open the electric windows or doors as the cabin filled.
• Poole Harbour Commissioners fixed the car’s position on the seabed and lifted it ashore around 10:30pm to remove a hazard to navigation.
• The precise cause has not been confirmed, though witnesses described sudden acceleration and reports suggest possible pedal error; the 2013 Bentley had recently passed its MOT.