A car ended up in a waterway in Harbor Isle after its driver lost control, hit a pole and crashed through a fence.

Police say a 24-year-old man was driving a 2002 Audi sedan on Warwick Boulevard shortly before 10 p.m. Saturday when he struck a utility pole, taking down power lines.

The car then left the roadway, crashed into some bushes and drove through a fence between two homes, leaving a trail of destruction. The car then plunged into the Broad Channel, a waterway behind the row of houses.

When officers responded to the scene, the driver had managed to crawl out and was on top of the vehicle, but a 28-year-old male passenger was trapped inside the automobile.

Officers used a 20-foot ladder, which was placed on a floating dock at one end and onto the car's trunk at the other end, to reach the driver and bring him to safety. A fireman in a wetsuit was able to get the trapped passenger back onto land.

The passenger suffered multiple fractures and was airlifted to the hospital. The driver suffered abrasions and was hospitalized to be checked out.

Detectives say there was no apparent criminality, but it's unclear what caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle. Neighbors say drag racing has been a problem in the area, but the driver is not facing charges at this time.