The man reportedly drove past road closure signs before ultimately running off the road into a flooded ditch. The car was completely submerged in water.

SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. — A person drowned after driving their car onto a flooded road in Snohomish County early Tuesday morning. 

Firefighters were called to Marsh Road southwest of Snohomish at around 1:30 a.m. A rescue swimmer removed one person from a car that was found fully submerged in flood waters. 

First responders immediately began CPR, but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim was a man in his early 30s, according to the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO). 

Two other rescue swimmers were able to confirm there was no one else inside the car.

The man drove his vehicle past road closure signs before ultimately running off the road and into a flooded ditch. The water was six feet deep in that spot, according to SCSO.

This is the first reported death connected to devastating flooding that began in the western Washington region last week. 

Emergency officials caution drivers not to drive their cars onto flooded roads. The water level may appear shallow, but it can be deceptively deep. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that most flood-related deaths occur when a vehicle is driven into hazardous water.

Six inches of fast-moving flood water can knock over an adult. Just 12 inches of rushing water can carry away most cars. In two feet of flood water, SUVs and semi-trucks can be pulled downstream.Â