Dramatic Photos Show Rescue as Mom Drove Car Into Fla. Surf
March 6, 2014— -- New photos show the dramatic moments when waves threatened to completely engulf a minivan containing a pregnant mother and her three children while lifeguards and bystanders battled to pull them from their vehicle this week.
The mother, who was hospitalized and undergoing mental evaluation, has been identified as 32-year-old Ebony Wilkerson of Cross, S.C.
Wilkerson was caught on camera trying to drive her car in to the ocean in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Tuesday.
Related: Mom drove van surf as kids screamed for help, rescuer says.
The dramatic rescue on the beach was captured by Simon Besner.
"The lifeguard went in the car to rescue the little girl, and then he was stuck himself in the car, so the other lifeguard took him back out of the car," Besner said.
Besner shared the images below with ABCNews.com. They show rescue workers rushing to the aid of the family. Some of the rescuers said Wilkerson looked mentally disturbed and was fighting with them in the surf.
Medical experts told ABC News today that Wilkerson could have been suffering from psychiatric disorders connected to her pregnancy.
"It could be a very dangerous combination to where they could be hearing voices," said Denise Marzullo, president of Mental Health America in Florida.
Before the incident, a person who identified herself as Wilkerson's sister had called 911 in Florida, saying that Wilkerson was running from family issues in South Carolina.
"I tried to take her to the hospital yesterday and she signed herself out today," the caller said on a 911 recording. "She's talking about Jesus and that there are demons in my house and that I'm trying to control her, but I'm trying to keep them safe."
