A rescue mission unfolded to kick off the weekend for a handful of residents in Newport Beach -- where a woman somehow found herself and her car knee-deep in water.
Check out this wild scene from Friday evening in the Orange County beachside community ... drone footage shows a vehicle partially submerged after it apparently fell off the dock, part of which looks damaged.
Folks from nearby sprung into action, diving in to help the person inside -- who turned out to be a woman -- and you can see it was all hands on deck as they tried pulling her out.
At one point, you even see the trunk pop open -- which is something that one witness says ended up being the way they got her out ... not before smashing a couple windows, though, beforehand. Pretty dramatic stuff, and it all plays out on video with a bird's-eye view.
Ultimately, it sounds like everyone was okay ... including the driver.
Reports say Newport Beach PD is investigating this as a possible DUI. No word on how this person may have fallen in -- but if she was driving while impaired, there's your answer.
Don't go chasing waterfalls -- or oceans either. Rivers and lakes, people ... rivers and lakes.