A woman is extremely lucky to be alive after her car drove off a rock wall of a car park into a harbour and immediately began sinking at a frightening speed.

The petrified woman was squashed up against the rear window as the front end of the BMW was rapidly submerging into the Waitemata Harbour in Auckland at 3pm on Tuesday. Dailymail report

The car was fully-submerged within a minute after the officers dragged the woman to safety.

Watts and fellow rescuer Constable Simon Russell received calls from Police Commissioner Mike Bush this afternoon, commending them on their efforts.

It was pretty close, probably 30 or 40 seconds after we managed to get the female out of the car, the car was already slipping further into the water.

“I’d say she’d probably only had maximum probably another minute, minute-and-a-half if she hadn’t got out,” Mr Watts said.

The woman was taken to North Shore Hospital. Mr Gray said she did not suffer any injuries and was in a stable condition.

The circumstances leading to the car ending up in the water are being investigated.