An elderly man is dead after his car veered off the road into the Annapolis River just east of Aylesford, N.S.

Kings County District RCMP and emergency crews responded to the collision on Highway 1 around 6 p.m. Sunday.

Police located the vehicle in the fast-moving waters of the river, so they secured it to a fire truck so they could rescue the people inside.

The driver and passenger were extracted from the car and taken to hospital. The driver, a 76-year-old man from Digby County, was pronounced dead.

His 69-year-old female passenger sustained serious injuries.

Police say their preliminary investigation suggests the driver may have experienced a medical issue before veering off the road.

The crash remains under investigation.