Jamie Lynn Spears struggled to free daughter from ATV's seat belt

Jamie Lynn Spears' eight-year-old daughter was trapped by her safety belt after the ATV she was driving plunged into a pond on Sunday (05Feb17), according to a local police report.

Britney Spears' niece Maddie had to be airlifted to hospital after the Polaris off-road vehicle she was in flipped over in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana.

Initial reports suggested Jamie Lynn's child with ex-boyfriend Casey Aldridge had been on a hunting expedition, but authorities reveal the accident happened on family property, as the 25-year-old mom and Maddie's stepfather Jamie Watson looked on in horror.

According to the police report from Sheriff Daniel Edwards, Maddie had swerved to avoid running into a drainage ditch.

"In doing so, she overcorrected causing the ATV to enter the pond," he explains in the document. "The ATV and child were instantly submerged in the water right before their eyes.

"Within seconds the child's mother, step-father and other family members reached the pond, dove in and attempted to rescue the child to no avail. The child was trapped and secured by the seatbelt and the ATV's safety netting. Within two minutes, Acadian Ambulance Services arrived and assisted in freeing the child from the cold waters."

Maddie remains hospitalized in a stable but critical condition.

After news of the accident broke, the Spears family thanked fans for their support as Maddie's grandfather, Jamie, asked the public to keep the eight-year-old in their thoughts.

He told Entertainment Tonight: "All I can say is pray for our baby Maddie".