Police visited a woman and her three children Tuesday in Daytona Beach after getting a call from a concerned family member.
A few hours later, Rescue crews saved the children from a minivan that plowed into the Atlantic Ocean. Investigators said the children's mother drove into the water.
DCF said the 32 year old woman and her children were visiting Central Florida from South Carolina. The family is not being identified.
Volusia County Sheriff's Office said they are still trying to find out what led the woman to drive her vehicle deliberately into the surf.
"We're looking to see if criminal charges are going to be appropriate, or if this is a medical issue," Sheriff Ben Johnson said.
Johnson said Tuesday Daytona Beach police officers interviewed hrt. He said they reported that she was in some crisis, but she did not display enough of any issues to justify taking her into custody under Florida's Baker Act.
"If the officers had made any statement that she was suicidal, or that she was homicidal, that she was a danger in any way, Daytona officers would have taken her into custody under the Baker Act," Johnson said. "But she made no statement that would indicate that, so they had nothing that they could go on to take her into custody."
Johnson said the woman told officers that she was going to an abuse shelter, and she did not want to tell the officers where she was going because she did not want her "ex" to find out.
The Florida Department of Children and Families took the children, ages 3, 9 and 10, into custody Wednesday after they were released from Halifax Health Medical Center. The children are being interviewed.
The woman remains in the hospital, where the Volusia County Sheriff's Office said she was undergoing a mental health evaluation. She is also pregnant.
A lifeguard spotted the van as it drove into the water near the approach to Silver Beach Avenue around 5 p.m. Tuesday. Deputies said a beach safety officer reported seeing the Honda Odyssey driving recklessly on the beach before turning toward the ocean and driving into about three to four feet of water.
Rough waves slammed the vehicle, which was almost completely submerged as both lifeguards and bystanders jumped into action, prying open the doors and carrying two girls and a boy to safety. By the time rescuers got there, she was already out of the vehicle.
"The waves were strong, the water was cold. They got in the water, got them out of it quickly," said Beach Safety Director Mark Swanson. "If it had been minutes longer, the outcome probably would have been different."
Beach safety officers managed to tow the van to shore as Daytona Beach fire officials tended to the mother and children.
DCF spokesman John Harrell said the department was working with South Carolina's child protective services to look into the family's background. A judge would make any final custody decision.
911 Well-being call released
The Volusia County Sheriff's Office released a phone call a relative made Tuesday, asking for Daytona Beach Police to come and perform a wellness check on the woman, hours before she drove her van into the water.
The relative, who told dispatch she was the woman's sister, told dispatch that her husband abused her, and she was having mental issues.
"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," the sister told dispatch.
The sister said she tried to call domestic violence shelters to get the woman help, but was told they were all full.
The sister said she took the woman's car keys to stop her from leaving, but the woman had another set in the car and then drove off.
Daytona Beach Police found the woman and talked to her. Police said said while she clearly had issues, she was not in a bad enough condition to be taken into custody under the Baker Act.
Latest Updates
Wednesday, 3:35 p.m.
Volusia County is starting a news conference to give us an update on the incident.
The woman is in the hospital and under investigation. Child Protective Services is interviewing the children to find out what is going on, according to Sheriff Ben Johnson with Volusia County Sheriff's Office.
The woman is pregnant.
Capt. Scott Petersohn with Volusia Beach Safety says the woman was out of the beach driving traffic lane, which is what alerted lifeguards to the situation.
The sheriff said the woman will undergo a mental health evaluation.
At this time no charges have been filed.
Sheriff Johnson said earlier yesterday the Daytona Beach Police Dept. contacted the woman after they got a call from a concerned family member. At that time, they decided there was nothing they could do at that time. She did not display any kind of issue that would allow them to take her into custody under the Baker Act. This was a few hours before the incident at the beach.
Mark Swanson, Volusia County Beach Safety director, said when their officers arrived, there were already bystanders in the water trying to reach the vehicle and get everyone out of the car.
Swanson said the waves were strong, the water was cold. If they had waited a few minutes longer the outcome would have been different.
The woman has not been interviewed yet.
Beach patrol said she entered the beach properly, but drove her car into the ocean deliberately, and they say she acted inappropriately when she was approached by patrol.