A 54-year-old man was killed when a BMW SUV was driven down a boat ramp and into the water at Bar Beach in Port Washington, authorities say.

The incident happened at around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Authorities say the victim's body was found floating in the water and it was too late to save the driver by the time rescuers got there.

Nearby fire departments sent divers and a drone response team.

Several boats spent hours searching for the submerged car and it eventually was pulled out and towed away.

"It's surprisingly deep right there because it's a ramp for boats to go in - it's deep," says North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena. "It's a very sad turn of events to be out here on a beautiful day, seeing all these great first responders, but preparing for a tragedy."

The identity of the victim has not been released and it's not known why he drove the SUV into the water.