A police officer broke down in tears at an inquest on Tuesday as she described how she pulled an infant girl’s body from a car that had rolled into a river.

Kiara Moore died after she was trapped in her parents’ silver Mini when it rolled into the River Teifi in Cardigan on 19 March. She was days from her third birthday.

The inquest at Aberystwyth justice centre heard how police officers waded into the river to save her – but they were too late.

“I looked to the water and could see the exterior of a car poking above the surface,” said Carol Griffiths, a police community support officer.

“I took off my stab vest, utility belt and boots,” she said, before pausing in the witness box and beginning to sob. “The river was freezing cold and I could tell the current was very strong. I put my head under the water and it was really dirty. The car was fully immersed with water. The passenger window was open slightly, about 10cm.”

Griffiths and another officer used a baton to smash one of the car’s windows, she said. “I then felt Kiara’s body. She floated out of the vehicle into my arms. She was wearing a pink jacket which matched the clothing described by her mother. As we reached the river bank I took hold over her and lowered her on to the floor, putting her gently on the ground. Officers began CPR on her. All I remember is standing there looking at her body on the ground. Her head was rolling all around the place and her face was purple.”

The inquest heard that Kiara’s mother, Kim Rowlands, initially feared the car had been stolen with Kiara inside after she returned to find it missing. The police were alerted and the family frantically posted appeals for help on social media.

DC Hannah Garney said CCTV footage showed Rowlands had left Kiara inside the vehicle for two minutes and one second while she went inside her office in an old scouts hall to retrieve cash to go food shopping.

At the height of the search, there were 30 emergency services personnel from police, fire and coastguard units in Cardigan. An hour and 40 minutes later, the car was found submerged in the Teifi, 150 metres downstream. It had rolled down a slipway used to launch boats and kayaks.

After the incident, there was a slew of derogatory comments on social media, much of it aimed at Rowlands. At the time, police warned they could act against the trolls, saying on Twitter: “We ask people to think very carefully before posting and not to speculate on circumstances of incidents. We are aware of comments on threads across social media which are being looked at. Posts considered to be malicious will be recorded and police action may follow.”

Dyfed-Powys police have since said there would be no charges in relation to the “tragic incident”.

Coroner Peter Brunton told the inquest he proposed to record the cause of death as immersion as opposed to drowning, as “Kiara had no control over what happened”.

The inquest continues.