The MPV was partially submerged in Ulu Sedili River in Johor.- PHOTO: JOHOR FIRE AND RESCUE DEPARTMENT / The Straits Times/ANN
SINGAPORE/KOTA TINGGI (The Straits Times/ANN): A 49-year-old Singaporean man was rescued by the Johor authorities after his multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) plunged into Ulu Sedili River in Johor on March 15.
Christopher Lim was driving along Jalan Kota Tinggi-Mersing when he was believed to have lost control of his Toyota Alphard, which fell into the river, the Johor Fire and Rescue Department said in a statement.
Eight officers were dispatched to the scene after passers-by made an emergency call at around 4pm.
The rescue team found the man trapped in the driver’s seat of the MPV, which was partially submerged in the river. The bonnet appeared to be damaged, and the windscreen was shattered.
According to a China Press report on March 16, the driver almost drowned when water gushed into the MPV.
He reportedly lost consciousness at one point, but was able to breathe on his own when the rescue team extricated him from the car.
He was then carried on a stretcher to the river bank before being rushed to Kota Tinggi Hospital for treatment.
In a statement on March 16, Kota Tinggi district police chief Hussin Zamora said the driver, most likely a tour guide, remains unconscious because of heart injuries.
Police are still investigating the cause of the accident.
This incident came after a 28-year-old Singaporean man was found dead on March 12, days after his car plunged into a ravine in Penang.
A March 11 traffic accident in Sabah also claimed the lives of a 60-year-old Singaporean man and a Vietnamese woman. Four other Singaporeans were injured. - The Straits Times/ANN
