Family speaks after women, 2-year-old found dead in car pulled from Seekonk River

A Sunday evening driving lesson ended in tragedy when a car plunged into the Seekonk River , killing a mother, her daughter, and her 2-year-old granddaughter trapped inside, authorities and family members said. Josue Gomez lost his 45-year-old wife, Floridalma, his 19-year-old daughter, Nora, and his 2-year-old granddaughter, Ana. Gomez said the crash occurred while his wife was teaching their daughter how to drive near the river. "They went to teach my daughter how to drive, and apparently she didn't brake, so they ended up in the river," Gomez said in an interview conducted in Spanish. Moments before the vehicle went into the water, Gomez received a panicked final phone call from his wife. "She called me again and told me no — that my daughter wasn't braking," Gomez said. "They were speeding along, and she wasn't hitting the brakes. That was the last thing she said to me." MORE NEWS: Attleboro woman indicted in death of newborn son 40 years ago By Monday evening, all that remained at the scene near Centerville Bank Stadium — where Rhode Island FC plays its soccer matches — was a smashed-up fence and caution tape. The vehicle plunged into the river from a section of the pier that lacked a wheel guard. Rescue teams searched for hours from Sunday night into Monday morning before temporarily calling off the efforts. Gomez watched from the side, unable to help in the dark water. "It’s even harder knowing they were still out there in the water," Gomez said. "It really makes you feel terrible." Pawtucket police confirmed a dive team located the submerged car and recovered the bodies of all three victims. Gomez, who moved to the area from Guatemala with his wife and had been with her for about 30 years, described his wife and daughter as "very good" people. He expressed relief that their bodies had been recovered, though he noted he has not yet been able to see them. "I feel bad," Gomez said. "But...on one hand, it’s a good thing, but on the other, I know I wouldn't have those images in my head anymore...I'm sad...but I'm happier now that they've been found." A GoFundMe has been created for the family.