A horrified eyewitness has described the heart-stopping moment a married couple were pulled out alive from a flooded car on Christmas Eve.

Alex Emmerson. 44, and her husband Matt Emmerson, 42, from Pym Close in Dussindale, on the edge of Norwich, witnessed a man and woman being rescued from their car which was submerged under the railway bridge on Green Lane, Thorpe End, with only 20cm of the window visible.

They first saw the car at around 9.40am from their bathroom window, which is metres from the spot where several cars get stuck after heavy rain, according to the business coach.

She added the couple presumed there was no-one inside as they had not heard any horns coming from the car, which normally happens, but only realised people were inside after a firefighter went to the car at around 10.30am.

Mrs Emmerson, a mother-of-four, said: "The firefighter was up to his neck in freezing cold water. I saw him start to scream to other firefighters, 'Get you gear on.' He then called, 'Are you alive?'

"I felt awful and was praying they were okay. The firefighter broke the window of the car and started pulling out this lady. She was probably in her 60s and 70s. He was telling her to breath and was swimming her out."

She heard him telling the firefighter there was a man in his 70s in the car.

The pair were taken to hospital with hypothermia, according to Mrs Emmerson, who said two fire engines and two ambulances were on the scene until noon.

"The car would have been metres from our bedroom window and we didn't hear anything. We feel awful for that. It was horrendous," she added.

The couple cannot easily access the country lane because of the railway bridge.

Norwich Evening News: A firefighter wades through armpit deep water to a submerged car under the rail bridge at Green Lane, Thorpe End, only to find an elderly couple trapped. Picture: Alex and Matt EmmersonA firefighter wades through armpit deep water to a submerged car under the rail bridge at Green Lane, Thorpe End, only to find an elderly couple trapped. Picture: Alex and Matt Emmerson (Image: Arachant)

"It is ridiculous that nothing is being done about this. People that are not from around here don't know that the road dips. This is the straw that broke the camel's back," said Mrs Emmerson, who is calling for road and sign improvements.

The couple described the scene of the floating car as "haunting".

It comes after a mother and her six-year-old and seven-year-old sons were rescued from the same spot after her car became trapped in flood water on December 23.